Haryana-based travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, who was recently detained on suspicion of espionage, had been keeping a personal diary that may offer critical clues into her alleged links with a cross-border spy network, investigators have said.

Malhotra, 33, was picked up from her residence in Hisar’s New Aggarsain Extension on May 16. She is one of 11 individuals arrested over the past fortnight from Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh in connection with an alleged Pakistan-backed intelligence operation targeting sensitive information in northern India.

Known for her YouTube channel Travel with JO, Malhotra reportedly maintained a habit of journaling her travels and personal reflections. Police sources said the recovered diary, roughly 10–11 pages in length, contains eight pages of English-language travel notes and three pages written in Hindi that focus on her visit to Pakistan.

In one of the Hindi entries, believed to have been penned upon her return from Pakistan, Malhotra reflected:
"After a 10-day journey across Pakistan, I return to India. We don't know how long borders will separate us, but may the divisions in our hearts vanish. We are children of the same land, of the same earth."

Investigators say she wrote positively about the hospitality she received in Pakistan and expressed hopes that more Indian Hindus could visit religious and ancestral sites there. She also noted her desire for easier access to temples and gurdwaras across the border and spoke of a longing to reconnect families divided during Partition.

The authorities are now closely reviewing footage from her travel videos, especially those shot during her visits to Kashmir, where she was often seen accompanied by a woman named Priyanka Setupati from Puri, Odisha. Setupati has already been questioned about any knowledge of or links to Malhotra’s activities.

According to police sources, Malhotra worked late nights editing videos and would often mislead her family about her travel destinations. One high-profile example was a luxury trip to Bali, featured prominently on her channel.

Since her arrest, her family has reportedly removed her photos from their home. Her father is said to be in a state of shock and has withdrawn himself from the ongoing investigation.

Malhotra is currently in a five-day custody period and is being interrogated by officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Haryana Police. Investigators are examining her financial records and travel logs to trace her movements and contacts abroad.

Probes Extend to Foreign Ties

A senior police officer from Hisar confirmed that central agencies and military intelligence are trying to verify Malhotra's overseas travel history, including trips to Pakistan and China. “We are piecing together her international movements,” the officer said.

Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan revealed that Malhotra was allegedly being “groomed” as an asset by Pakistan’s intelligence services. During the heightened military tension following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, she is said to have been in contact with a Pakistani official stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.

While she didn’t have direct access to strategic or military data, authorities believe she was in regular touch with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). “This is the new face of hybrid warfare. Intelligence agencies are now targeting digital influencers and content creators,” said SP Sawan.

He added that Malhotra had travelled to Kashmir shortly before the Pahalgam incident and had been to Pakistan some time earlier, with agencies now looking into possible links between these trips.

Malhotra reportedly first met Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani diplomat expelled by India on May 13 for suspected spying, in 2023 while applying for a visa at the High Commission. Her communications with him are now under intense scrutiny.

Wider Spy Ring Under Investigation

Malhotra is not the only one under the scanner. In a parallel case, Punjab Police arrested Guzala (31) and Yameen Mohammad from Malerkotla on May 11 for allegedly passing photos and sensitive details of military bases to Pakistani handlers in exchange for payments.

Guzala, too, met Ehsan while seeking a visa to Pakistan. Police suspect this was a recurring tactic—using visa application procedures to identify and approach potential recruits.

On May 20, authorities arrested Sukhpreet Singh from Gurdaspur on charges of leaking military information. His family, however, has maintained his innocence.

With multiple arrests across three states and the involvement of central agencies, officials say the case represents a new frontier in espionage—one that merges traditional intelligence gathering with modern tools like social media and influencer culture.