Jyoti Malhotra espionage case: Haryana court sends YouTuber to 4-day police remand

The Hisar District Court on Thursday sent YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to 4-day police remand. Malhotra was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information and being in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen named Danish. Danish aka Ehsan-ur-Rahman was expelled by India earlier this month in the wake of tensions with Pakistan following the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people.

Malhotra recently confessed to security agencies that she first came in contact with Danish in 2023 when she visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi for a visa to travel to Pakistan. She added that since then, she was in regular contact with him. 

The Pakistani High Commission official who trapped the Haryana-based YouTuber was an agent of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), India Today reported, citing sources.

Danish's passport was issued by Islamabad and was granted a visa for India on January 21, 2022. At present, security agencies are investigating whether Ehsan alias Danish was his real name or a code name given by the ISI, sources added. 

He was posted at the visa desk at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi but his real job was espionage and trapping people to spy for Pakistan, they further mentioned. Danish was actively working to develop Jyoti Malhotra as an intelligence asset.

As per the cops, Danish introduced Malhotra to Ali Ahwan, who allegedly helped arrange her stay and connected with Pakistani officials Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. 

“Danish was developing her as an asset. She was in touch with other YouTube influencers,” a Hisar police spokesperson said.

Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old Instagram and YouTube user, has been arrested on espionage charges in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. She was arrested after interacting with an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Police believe the case may be part of a larger Pakistan-linked spy network.

(With inputs from ANI, Arvind Ojha)