Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. Known for her popular travel vlog ‘Travel with Jo’, Jyoti had built a strong presence on YouTube and was active across social media platforms. With a substantial following and consistent viewership, she was believed to be earning a significant monthly income through her YouTube channel.
Jyoti who is also known as Rani is 33 years old and has a YouTube channel called Travel with Jo with over 3,77,000 subscribers. Her Instagram account has over 1,32,000 followers.
According to the police, she was found sharing “sensitive information” with an official of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Various reports say that she was allegedly tasked by her Pakistani handlers to portray a positive image of Pakistan.
What Are The Charges Against Her?
Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested by the police in Hisar. She is accused of sharing secret information about India with Pakistani spies and posting content on social media that showed Pakistan in a good light. She has been charged under serious national security laws- Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, and Section 152 of the new criminal law (Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita or BNS).
According to the police complaint (FIR), Malhotra was in contact with a man named Ehsan-ur-Rahim (also known as Danish), who worked at the Pakistan High Commission. The Indian government had already declared him “persona non grata,” which means he was sent back to Pakistan because he was doing things outside his official job in India.
What Are The Sections?
Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act is about punishing people for spying. It applies to anyone who:
- Goes near or enters restricted areas that are important for national security,
- Makes maps, notes, or plans that could help the enemy,
- Collects or shares secret codes, passwords, or any sensitive government information.
- If someone is caught doing this, they can face up to 14 years in prison if it involves defence-related places or secrets. In other cases, the punishment can be up to 3 years in jail.
Section 5 is about wrongly sharing or handling secret information. It applies to anyone who:
- Shares secret codes, plans, or important details with people they are not allowed to, especially if it helps the enemies of the country.
- Even if they don’t share it on purpose, but are careless and the secret leaks, they can still be punished.
- Both the person who shares and the one who receives the secret information can be held guilty.
- The punishment can be up to 3 years in jail, or a fine, or both.
BNS Section
Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita deals with ‘Act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.’ The Section states, “Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial mean, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.”
A Man Warned About Malhotra A Year Before Her Arrest
Even before her arrest, a man on X warned the National Investigation Agency to look into Malhotra’s activities. An X user named Kapil Jain had warned the NIA in May 2024. Requesting them to keep a watch on her as she first visited the Pakistani embassy function and then visited Kashmir. “May be some link behind all these: Jain posted along with a screenshot of Malhotra’s YouTube page.
