‘Pakistani spy’ YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's father: ‘Cant she call her friends in Pak?’

A day after Hisar-based YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra, was arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan by the Indian authorities, her father stated that his daughter had visited the neighbouring country to shoot videos, reported ANI.

Haris Malhotra, Jyoti's father, asked why she could not contact her friends living in the country if she wished to.

“She made YouTube videos. She used to visit Pakistan and other places. If she has some friends there, can't she call them? I have no demands, but give us our phones. A case has been registered against us," ANI news agency quoted Malhotra.

Adding more, Haris claimed that his daughter had taken all necessary permissions before travelling to Pakistan.

Why was Jyoti Malhotra arrested?

Earlier on Saturday, the Indian authorities arrested six Indian nationals — including a Haryana-based travel blogger Jyoti Malhotra — for allegedly passing sensitive information to Pakistani operatives.

According to the officials, all the accused allegedly acted as agents, financial conduits, and informants and had networks in Haryana and Punjab.

The officials revealed that the accused Jyoti, who ran the YouTube channel "Travel with Jo", had visited Pakistan in 2023 after acquiring a visa through commission agents. She even developed close ties with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi during her trip.

The Indian authorities suspect that Danish, declared persona non grata by the government and expelled on 13 May 2025, allegedly introduced Jyoti to multiple Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

Jyoti allegedly remained in touch with operatives, including Shakir alias Rana Shahbaz, whose number she saved as “Jatt Randhawa” through encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, alleged the officials.

Officials also claim that Jyoti allegedly shared sensitive information which concerned Indian locations. She even actively used to project a positive image of Pakistan on social media.

Among other details, Jyoti also entered into an intimate relationship with a PIO and even travelled to Bali, Indonesia with him.

Speaking to media, DSP Kamaljeet said, as quoted by ANI, “Yesterday, based on inputs that we had, we arrested Jyoti, daughter of Haris Kumar, under the Official Secret Act and BNS 152. We have received some suspicious things after we recovered her mobile and laptop. We have taken her on a 5-day remand, and further investigation is on. She was in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen.”

She has been charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. Apart from this, a written confession has been obtained from her, and the case has been handed over to the Hisar's Economic Offences Wing.

With agency inputs.