As part of the ongoing investigation into YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s alleged links with Pakistani intelligence, fresh revelations have emerged that an expelled Pakistani high commission official, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, attempted to recruit around two dozen individuals in Delhi. These individuals were either applying for visas to Islamabad or were relatives of applicants.
The Delhi Police acted on inputs from its intelligence wing’s Pakistan desk and initiated a probe, The Times of India reported, citing a senior special branch officer. Police questioned approximately 25 individuals separately, but found no incriminating evidence. All of them were released as the recruitment attempts did not succeed.
Danish Was Not a Visa Officer, but an ISI Operative
The investigation further revealed that Danish was not the visa officer he claimed to be. According to the report, he held an inspector-level rank in Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
A police source told ToI, “He (Danish) was reporting to a senior ISI officer named Shoaib and was tasked with arranging Indian SIM cards, besides recruiting influencers. Danish’s passport was issued in Islamabad, and he was granted a visa for India on January 21, 2022. As per his documents, Danish was born in Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab province.”
On May 13, India declared Danish persona non grata for allegedly collecting sensitive information and pushing pro-Pakistan narratives.
Malhotra Allegedly Developed as ISI Asset
Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was arrested last week under espionage charges for allegedly maintaining contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). During her interrogation, she admitted that she had communicated with Danish between November 2023 and March 2025.
Authorities suspect that Danish was trying to groom Malhotra as an intelligence asset during this period.
While speaking to HT, police officials confirmed Malhotra’s contact with PIOs but clarified that no link to terrorist activities has been found.
Hisar Superintendent of Police stated, “So far, we have not found any evidence of her involvement in any terror activity or her alignment with any terrorist group.”
She was among 12 individuals arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for their alleged involvement in espionage.
Pak High Commission’s History of Espionage
The Pakistan high commission in Delhi has a record of being used for ISI-led intelligence operations. Sources told ToI that ISI embeds its agents into the high commission and rotates them among different postings.
During PIO interrogations, it was found that ISI often trains army officers for espionage and posts them under fake identities at the high commission using false documents. These operatives then target Indian visa applicants to secure local SIM cards and build contacts with vulnerable individuals, including military or paramilitary personnel.
A senior officer revealed that these visa applicants help PIOs get Indian SIM cards, which are later used to reach out to potential recruits.
Past Cases Reveal Ongoing Espionage Threat
In May 2020, Delhi Police and military intelligence busted a similar plot involving two individuals posing as visa officers—Abid Hussain and Tahir Khan—who were later confirmed as ISI agents and expelled from India. Following the incident, India halved the Pakistan high commission’s staff strength from 180 to 90.
In 2021, another sting operation revealed a Pakistani-origin visa officer working for ISI. In 2016, Mehmood Akhtar, an ISI officer posted at the high commission, was caught posing as a visa officer. While his Indian associates were arrested, Akhtar was released due to diplomatic immunity. He had been recruited by ISI in 2013 and sent to Delhi on posting.
These repeated incidents have reinforced concerns about the misuse of diplomatic channels for espionage in India.
