Daijiworld Media Network – Hisar
Hisar, May 18: In a startling case of espionage, popular travel blogger and social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra was arrested from Hisar for allegedly spying for Pakistan and passing sensitive information to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). Her arrest has exposed how PIOs are increasingly targeting Indian influencers to push anti-India narratives.
Briefing the media, Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan said, “Modern warfare is not only fought on the border. PIOs are recruiting Indian social media influencers to amplify their narrative. Jyoti Malhotra had visited Pakistan multiple times and China once. She was in contact with the PIOs, especially during the recent Indo-Pak tensions post Operation Sindoor.”
Malhotra has been remanded to five-day police custody. SP Sawan further revealed discrepancies in her travel and financial details, stating, “Her travel expenses far exceed her known sources of income. We are currently analysing her financial records.”
The FIR lodged at Hisar Civil Lines Police Station reveals that Malhotra visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023 and came into contact with one Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a staffer at the High Commission. Investigators believe she shared critical information related to Indian locations and helped portray a favourable image of Pakistan on social media platforms.
She has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act.
Malhotra’s arrest marks the third such incident in Haryana in a week, following the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, her father Harish Malhotra defended her travels, claiming she went to Pakistan only to shoot content and questioned why she should not be allowed to interact with friends across the border.
Police officials are continuing investigations into the scope of the information leaked and the potential network involved.