Hisar, Haryana – YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, known for her travel vlogs under the channel Travel with Jo, has been taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) over alleged espionage activities connected to Pakistan. The arrest follows mounting suspicions of terror links and sensitive content related to India’s border regions shared through her digital platforms.
NIA Interrogation Underway, Terror Links Suspected
On Monday, an NIA team reached Hisar and formally took Jyoti into custody, later transferring her to Chandigarh for detailed interrogation. The agency is investigating possible terror connections, particularly focusing on her travel to Kashmir prior to the Pahalgam terror attack, and her visit to Pakistan in March 2025.
Alongside the NIA, Jammu Intelligence agencies will also interrogate her to determine whether she was passing sensitive information to foreign entities under the guise of content creation.
Instagram Banned, Police Seize Belongings
Jyoti’s Instagram account was banned over the weekend; it previously had 139,000 followers. On the night of May 18, Hisar Police raided her residence and confiscated her clothes and electronic devices. Her father, Harish Malhotra, expressed shock, stating, “She always said she was going to Delhi. We had no idea she visited Kashmir or Pakistan.”
He further noted that Jyoti used to film mostly indoors and that he only recently learned from others that she frequently traveled for content creation.
Multiple Visits to Kashmir, Border Regions Featured in Videos
Investigation reports reveal that Jyoti visited Kashmir twice—once in 2024 and again in January 2025. She had uploaded videos from Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Dal Lake, and Pangong Lake, the last of which is adjacent to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
In other vlogs, she featured border areas in Punjab and Rajasthan, including Attari-Wagah and villages near the Thar Desert, showing border fencing and interviewing locals. Authorities suspect her motives went beyond travel blogging, potentially involving the transmission of sensitive visuals to Pakistan’s intelligence network.
Controversial Remarks After Pahalgam Attack
Following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jyoti did not condemn terrorists or Pakistan. Instead, she publicly questioned India’s security preparedness, claiming that the government, agencies, and even civilians share the blame. Her statements raised eyebrows, as they deflected accountability from the perpetrators and placed focus on domestic vulnerabilities.
Questionable Behavior in Rajasthan and Pakistan
One of her Rajasthan videos shows her asking women in a border village if they had relatives in Pakistan, and she was seen commenting on a goat allegedly crossing the border from the Pakistani side. In Pakistan, she posted over 10 videos during a 10-day trip, including interactions with Pakistani police officers, with one video showing her sharing tea and biscuits with them at a Lahore railway station.
She appeared overly enthusiastic in a pre-trip video filmed at Amritsar’s Darbar Sahib, celebrating her successful 10-day Pakistani visa approval. Her videos garnered significant attention, with 1.9 million views and thousands of comments.
Visits to All Countries Sharing a Border with India
Further scrutiny reveals that in just one year, Jyoti traveled to nearly every country that shares a land border with India, including Nepal, Bhutan, and China, immediately after returning from Pakistan. Her content from these regions is now under examination for possible intelligence violations.
Massive Surge in Online Followers After Arrest
News of Jyoti’s arrest triggered an online frenzy. Within 48 hours, her social media following increased by over 21,000, with YouTube subscribers rising from 3.77 lakh to 3.86 lakh. Facebook alone saw more than 2 lakh profile searches in two days.
As the investigation deepens, authorities are assessing whether Jyoti Malhotra used her influencer status to mask covert operations, or if her activities were merely misguided content ventures gone too far. Her growing influence, controversial statements, and access to sensitive regions are now under serious legal and national security scrutiny.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
