YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Visited Pahalgam Before Terror Attack, Linked to ISI Spy Network: Probe
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, recently arrested for alleged espionage, had visited Pahalgam just months before a terror attack there, raising serious intelligence concerns.
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on May 17 for allegedly passing sensitive information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had reportedly visited Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir three months prior to a terror attack in April, officials said.
According to former Jammu and Kashmir DGP Shesh Paul Vaid, Malhotra was honey-trapped by a Pakistani High Commission official identified as Danish, suspected to be linked to the ISI.
“Is it a coincidence that YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was honey-trapped by Danish, a Pakistani High Commission employee (most probably ISI), visited Pahalgam in January 2025? She was reportedly passing on sensitive information to ISI handlers,” Vaid posted on X.
He further emphasized that intelligence agencies usually monitor individuals who frequently engage with entities linked to adversary nations such as Pakistan and China.
Malhotra, who operates a popular travel YouTube channel Travel with JO, with over 3.7 lakh subscribers, is also alleged to have been in regular contact with ISI operatives.
Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal told PTI that Malhotra had visited Puri in September 2024, where she met another woman YouTuber. This woman reportedly visited Pakistan’s Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara shortly before being linked to the same spy network.
The ISI-linked Pakistani official, with whom Malhotra was in contact, was expelled from India on May 13 for suspected involvement in espionage.
Malhotra’s arrest comes amid a broader anti-espionage crackdown under ‘Operation Sindoor’, which has resulted in the arrest of five other individuals.
Authorities claim the network operated by establishing covert communication channels and using social media influence to conceal intelligence gathering activities.
All suspects were allegedly in contact with the ISI and were actively engaged in collecting and transmitting sensitive national security information to Pakistan.
The arrest of a high-profile YouTuber has raised alarms over the increasing use of digital and social media influencers for intelligence operations by foreign agencies.
Officials believe honey-trapping and online manipulation remain key tools in Pakistan’s espionage toolkit targeting India.
Malhotra remains in custody while investigations continue into the full extent of the spy ring’s operations and its possible links to recent terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
