Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra met Pakistani handler day before Operation Sindoor
CHANDIGARH: A day before India launched
Operation Sindoor
, a retaliatory strike following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra met her Pakistani handler, identified as Danish, in Delhi
Operation Sindoor, conducted on May 7, was preceded by blackout drills across north India as part of a classified response to potential electronic surveillance threats.
Officials now confirm that Malhotra, arrested for espionage last week, was not only in the national capital on May 6, but also remained in touch with Pakistani officials over the next few days.
'She met Danish, the expelled staffer from
Pakistan High Commission
, and continued contact even during the blackout period,' a senior official told TOI. Investigators believe this timing was not coincidental, suggesting a larger espionage link to sabotage or monitor India's strategic readiness.
3 others also arrested for espionage; influencer under scanner for 'narrative work'
Malhotra, known for her YouTube channel Travel With Jo, is among four individuals arrested since May 13 by Haryana Police. The others include:
Nauman Elahi, a security guard from Panipat,
Devender Singh Dhillon, a Kaithal resident,
Arman, a youth from Nuh's Rajaka village who allegedly used his identity to issue mobile SIMs for Pak officers and shared details from a defence expo.
Police said all were acting at the behest of Pakistani handlers and passing on information related to vital installations.
Hisar SP Shashank Sawan said: 'In modern warfare, the enemy uses influencers and YouTubers to shape favourable narratives.
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Malhotra's role appears to be part of this psychological front.'
Sources said her income didn't match her international travel patterns and suspect some trips may have been sponsored. "She's been on the radar for months, and now another YouTuber from Odisha is also under surveillance,' one officer added.
'Disproportionate income, Bali trip with Pak handler'
Investigations have revealed Malhotra visited Pakistan at least four times and was in a romantic relationship with Pakistani officials.
They also travelled together to Bali, police sources said. Devices recovered from her possession have been sent for cyber forensic analysis and a probe into financial transactions is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Arman, a Class XII dropout in his early 20s, was apprehended from Firozpur Jhirka on the night of May 15.
He maintained contact with Pakistani handlers via a terror conduit and supplied Indian SIMs for use by Pakistan's intelligence network.
All four arrested individuals are currently being interrogated by multiple security and intelligence agencies.
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