Journey vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, also called Jyoti Rani, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly spying for Pakistan and leaking delicate Indian army data.
The 33-year-old is amongst six individuals booked underneath fees of espionage.
Who Is Jyoti Malhotra?
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Jyoti Malhotra is a journey vlogger from Haryana who runs a YouTube channel referred to as ‘Journey With Jo’. Her Instagram deal with, ‘travelwithjo1’, has 1.37 lakh followers.
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Her Instagram bio describes her as a “Nomadic Leo Lady. Wanderer. Haryanvi + Punjabi fashionable lady with outdated concepts.”
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Her social media exhibits she has a eager curiosity in bike riding and solo travel.
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Ms Malhotra has travelled extensively throughout India and international international locations, together with Pakistan, Bhutan, Indonesia, and China.
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She visited Pakistan twice, and her content material from there has attracted scrutiny from Indian investigators.
Round two months in the past, she posted a number of movies and reels from Pakistan, exhibiting her go to to Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar, Katas Raj Temple, and a bus journey throughout the nation. Certainly one of her Instagram captions learn “Ishq (love) Lahore”, and her content material included comparisons between Indian and Pakistani tradition and protection of Pakistani delicacies.
In 2023, Jyoti Malhotra visited Pakistan for the primary time utilizing a visa organized by way of fee brokers, throughout which she got here in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an official on the Pakistan Excessive Fee in Delhi. She later developed shut ties with Rahim, who launched her to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Ms Malhotra allegedly remained in contact with these handlers after returning to India and is accused of sharing delicate Indian Military motion and placement particulars as a part of an espionage community spanning Haryana and Punjab.
She reportedly visited Pakistan twice and was hosted there by Rahim’s affiliate, Ali Ahwan.
In 2024, she additionally travelled to Kashmir, importing movies from Dal Lake and the Srinagar-Banihal railway route. Investigators additional declare she shaped an intimate relationship with one Pakistani operative and even accompanied him to Bali, Indonesia.
Her arrest comes shortly after India’s Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror assault, which killed 26 individuals. Following the operation, Rahim was declared persona non grata and expelled from India on Could 13 for espionage.
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