‘Never Said She Went to Pakistan’: Jyoti Malhotra’s Father Recalls Daughter’s Claims of Delhi Visits

In a shocking case that has startled the internet community as well as national intelligence bodies, influencer and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been detained by Haryana Police under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions. The detention comes in the wake of serious charges of espionage, foreign intelligence connections, and suspicious foreign travel.

As per the authorities, Jyoti Malhotra was discovered with “suspicious” material on her laptop and mobile phone. The authorities also asserted that she had direct contact with individuals associated with Pakistani intelligence outfits.

A Father’s Contradictory Narrative

But a shocking twist came when her father, Harish Malhotra, spoke out in shock and bewilderment over his daughter’s activities. “I didn’t know she had told me that she was going to Delhi.”. She never informed me about anything,” he informed ANI. Harish had initially admitted her visits to Pakistan, referring to her YouTube videos, but he has now recanted and said he knew nothing. “I have no comment. I am myself upset and ill for the past 3 days,” he further added.

This contradictory stance has raised many an eyebrow. His original claims that she was producing videos in Pakistan and had the necessary permissions contradict his recent suggestion that he does not even possess a gadget with which to watch her videos.

Allegations of Contact with Pakistani Intelligence

Agencies claim that Jyoti initially approached the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023, when she had a meeting with a man named Ahsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish. Officials say this was the starting point for her contacts with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). SP Shashank Kumar Sawan disclosed that Jyoti had gone to Pakistan several times, including shortly before the Pahalgam terror attack, and had also gone to China.

“Haryana Police is interrogating her along with central agencies. We are checking her financial dealings and movement records to identify her sources of income,” SP Sawan said. Her declared sources of income do not support her foreign travel. We suspect foreign funding. On the face of it, she was a travel blogger,” he said.

Espionage in the Digital Age

The case highlights growing concerns that authorities hold about how potential soft propaganda and intelligence operations can exploit social media influencers. SP Sawan said central agencies had already raised an alert that Pakistani agents were attempting to recruit Indian influencers. The utilization of online platforms for indirect surveillance or influence operations is now a contemporary spy tactic, with soft influence being equally important as hard data theft.

Officials further noted that Jyoti’s interactions with individuals declared persona non grata by the Indian government amid heightened Indo-Pak tensions raise “alarming” concerns, even though she did not have direct access to sensitive military files.

Looking Forward

As the inquiry progresses, questions arise about loopholes in monitoring foreign activities of digital influencers, particularly from countries reported as having hostile intelligence operations. The decision in this case could provide the impetus for policy-level deliberations regarding increased monitoring of foreign travel and funding sources of digital content creators.

At the same time, Jyoti Malhotra is in police custody for five days while authorities scan her conversations, bank activity, and content history. The country is watching closely, not only out of curiosity, but with real concern about how deep and digital spying can now penetrate — even in the name of a vlog.