News Update On May 17, 2025, Haryana Police arrested six individuals, including a Hisar-based YouTuber named Jyoti Malhotra, for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Haryana Police arrested six individuals, including Jyoti Malhotra, who runs the YouTube channel “Travel with Jo” with over 377,000 subscribers, was accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
She reportedly visited Pakistan three times, including a trip in 2023 where she developed ties with Ehsan-ur-Rahim (alias Danish), a former Pakistan High Commission staffer in New Delhi, who was expelled from India on May 13, 2025, for espionage activities.
Malhotra allegedly used encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to communicate with ISI operatives, storing contacts under fake names.
She has been charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and was sent to five-day police remand after her arrest.
The investigation, part of Operation Sindoor, revealed a broader espionage network across Haryana and Punjab, with other arrests made in Kaithal, Panipat, Nuh, and Malerkotla. Authorities are probing digital and financial trails to uncover further links.
Other notable YouTuber arrests in Haryana include:
● Ravina (April 2025) : A YouTuber from Rewari, arrested in Bhiwani for allegedly strangling her husband, Praveen, with her lover, Suresh, another YouTuber, after he caught them in a compromising position. They dumped his body in a drain, captured on CCTV. Ravina was arrested, while Suresh remains absconding.
● Hardik Kamboj (March 2025) : An 18- or 19-year-old from Yamunanagar, arrested for hurling a grenade-like object at the house of Jalandhar-based YouTuber Rozer Sandhu. Kamboj, paid Rs 25,000, was linked to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti and sustained a bullet injury during a police encounter after opening fire during weapon recovery.
● Momin Khan (February 2025) : A 22-year-old from Haryana, arrested for uploading a fabricated video falsely depicting vandalism at Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid, inciting communal hatred. He faced charges under sections 196 and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
● Akarshan Uppal (May 2023) : A Karnal-based YouTuber running IBN24, arrested for allegedly barging into a woman tehsildar’s office with a group and following her to a washroom with his camera on during a Facebook Live, outraging her modesty. His supporters protested, claiming he was exposing administrative issues.
These cases highlight a range of allegations against YouTubers in Haryana, from espionage and murder to inciting violence and public misconduct. For the most prominent recent case, Jyoti Malhotra’s arrest has drawn significant attention due to its national security implications.
The query likely refers to recent arrests in Punjab related to espionage, as the context of the previous question about a YouTuber’s arrest in Haryana for spying suggests interest in similar incidents.
Based on available information, several notable arrests in Punjab in May 2025 are linked to espionage activities, particularly in connection with Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Here are the key arrests reported in Punjab around this period :
● Guzala and Yameen Mohammed (May 2025):
Details: Punjab Police arrested two Indian citizens, Guzala and Yameen Mohammed, for their alleged involvement in a cross-border espionage ring leaking sensitive military information to a Pakistan-based handler.
Guzala reportedly met Ehsan-ur-Raheem (alias Danish), a Pakistani High Commission official, during a visa application visit in February 2025 and again in April 2025, where she allegedly handed over classified data.
She received ₹30,000 in two digital payments via UPI, arranged through Yameen Mohammed, identified as the key organizer. The arrests followed credible intelligence, and Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav confirmed the operation targeted national security threats.
• Charges: They face charges related to espionage, with investigations focusing on financial transactions and potential broader network links.
● Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih (May 3, 2025):
Details: Amritsar Rural Police arrested Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih for leaking sensitive information and photographs of Army Cantonment areas and Air Bases in Amritsar to Pakistan intelligence operatives.
The arrests, announced by Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav on May 4, 2025, were part of a counter-espionage operation based on credible intelligence. Preliminary investigations confirmed their role in sharing restricted data.
• Charges: They were charged under laws related to espionage and national security, with ongoing probes into their communications and handlers.
● Devender (May 2025):
Details: A postgraduate student at Khalsa College, Patiala, Devender was arrested for allegedly providing strategic details, including updates on Operation Sindoor, to ISI agents. He came into contact with them during a religious trip to Kartarpur Sahib.
His social media posts featuring firearms and remarks praising Pakistan drew police attention. His electronic devices were seized for forensic examination, and authorities suspect he was part of a larger ISI-backed espionage network.
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• Charges: He faces charges under the National Security Act (NSA) and sections related to sedition.
● Mohammad Husinan (May 3-4, 2025):
Details: A Pakistani national, Mohammad Husinan, son of Mohammad Ajmal from Gujjarewala, Pakistan, was arrested in Gurdaspur after illegally crossing the border on the night of May 3-4, 2025. He was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) and handed over to Punjab Police, who placed him in two days’ remand for questioning.
• Charges: Charges likely relate to illegal border crossing and potential espionage, though specific charges were not detailed in the reports.
● Two Unnamed Individuals in Malerkotla (May 2025):
Details: Malerkotla Police arrested two individuals for alleged espionage activities linked to a Pakistani official at the High Commission in New Delhi. The operation, based on credible intelligence, led to the recovery of two mobile phones, and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered.
DGP Gaurav Yadav emphasized the operation’s significance for national security, with investigations focusing on financial trails and other network operatives.
• Charges: Charges relate to espionage, with further details pending investigation.
These arrests are tied to a broader crackdown on ISI-backed espionage networks in Punjab and Haryana, with six total arrests reported across the two states, including the YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra in Hisar, Haryana. The operations were intensified following Operation Sindoor, a military retaliation against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack.