YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s Arrest Sparks Espionage Scandal: Pahalgam Visit Before Terror Attack and Alleged ISI Links Raise Alarming Questions

YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s Mysterious Visit to Pahalgam: A Chilling Precursor to a Terror Plot

Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger with national appeal, has ignited serious concerns regarding national security in the wake of her revelation that she had visited Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir about three months before a deadly terror attack in that region in April of 2025. More popularly known for her YouTube channel Travel with JO, Jyoti was arrested on May 17 for allegedly supplying sensitive information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) after being honey-trapped.

The eyebrows on social media were raised by the former Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, Shesh Paul Vaid, who commented on X (previously Twitter) that Jyoti’s visit to Pahalgam in January 2025 cannot be written off as a mere coincidence. He claims that Jyoti has been contacting an employee of the Pakistani High Commission, Danish, who is a person reportedly linked to the ISI and thus creating more doubts about the true purposes of her travels across sensitive areas in the country.

Read more: China Reacts to India’s Operation Sindoor, Urges Restraint Amid Rising Tensions

Vaid questioned how such people can go unnoticed up till now. Usually, intelligence agencies keep an eagle eye on those who frequently interact with officials of countries considered hostile like Pakistan and also, now, even Bangladesh.

According to the police, Jyoti hailed from Hisar in Haryana and had also taken a trip to Puri, Odisha, in September 2024, and during that trip, she reportedly met some other female YouTuber who returned recently from Judith Oak Gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan. Investigations have shown that this acquaintance can also be linked to similar actions. The Puri Superintendent of Police, Vinit Agrawal, confirmed that this woman too is under the scanner for possible links to the ISI.

The size of the operation is larger than initially thought. Jammu is not the only one under suspicion. Five others are also arrested in terms of the same espionage network, all presumed to provide intelligence to Pakistan in what is now referred to as “Operation Sindoor.” These individuals have always been in contact with ISI handlers, relaying secret information regarding Indian defense and internal affairs.

Read more: Indian Youth Congress Protests FIR Against Rahul Gandhi: Calls Him the ‘Nyaya Warrior’

Things were made easier for her handlers by her online presence. With over 3.77 lakh subscribers on YouTube and 1.33 lakh followers on Instagram, her influence reached far. Thus, she could have been a very strategic target for Pakistani intelligence, who reportedly laid a trap for espionage using her travel for content creation.

The Indian government took short of despair with expelling the Pakistani High Commission staff involved in it on May 13, just days before the arrest of Jyoti. Since investigations are still ongoing, an even larger espionage ring may be suspected, indicating how digital influencers may unwittingly or willingly become tools of foreign intelligence agencies for espionage.

We’re now on WhatsApp. Click to join. 

Like this post?
Register at One World News to never miss out on videos, celeb interviews, and best reads.