New Delhi: Six Indians, including a Haryana-based travel blogger have been arrested for allegedly passing sensitive information to Pakistan. Reportedly, the network spanned across Punjab and Haryana and its key operatives acted as informants, agents, and financial conduits.
A woman named Jyoti Malhotra is one of the accused and she ran the “Travel with Jo”, a YouTube channel. According to the authorities, she went to Pakistan in 2023 after getting a visa thanks to the commission agents. She formed close ties with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member at New Delhi’s Pakistan High Commission during the trip.
Notably, the government has declared Danish persona non grata since the revelations and expelled him on May 13. As per reports, he allegedly introduced Jyoti to several Pakistani Intelligence Operatives. Jyoti used to contact the operatives on encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. The operatives included Shakir alias Rana Shahbaz, and Jyoti saved her number as “Jatt Randhawa.”
According to reports, she allegedly shared sensitive regarding several locations in India. Also, she was used to paint a positive image of Pakistan on social media. As per investigators, she entered into an intimate relationship with a PIO and even accompanied him to Indonesia’s Bali. She has been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s Section 152 and the 1923 Official Secrets Act’s Sections 3, 4, and 5. The authorities have obtained a written confession from her, and the Economic Offences Wing, Hisar is now handling the case.
Others arrested in the case
Among the others arrested in the case is Guzala, a 32-year-old widow from Punjab’s Malerkotla. She visited New Delhi’s Pakistan High Commission on February 27, 2025, to apply for a visa. She met Danish there and they began to chat regularly. Soon, she was persuaded by Danish to switch from WhatsApp to Telegram, claiming it was safer. He gained her trust with the promise of marriage, and they got involved in a romantic relationship.
Danish began to send Guzala money and instructed her to divert the money to specific recipients in parts. On April 23, Guzala once again went to the Pakistan High Commission with her friend Banu Nasreena. Once again, Danish facilitated their visa, and it was issued the next day. Others arrested in the case include Devinder Singh Dhillon from Kaithal, Haryana, Arman from Nuh, Haryana, and Yameen from Malerkotla. As per reports, it is part of a larger espionage operation, and the accused have reportedly confessed to their roles.
