A travel blogger from Haryana's Hisar was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence agents. Jyoti Malhotra, known online for her YouTube channel Travel With Jo, was booked under the Official Secrets Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Following her confession, she was remanded to five days of police custody. The case exposed her alleged connections with a Pakistani intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Who Is Ehsan-ur-Rahim?
According to the FIR registered at the Civil Lines police station in Hisar, Malhotra came in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, during a visit to the Pakistan High Commission in 2023. Rahim was employed at the mission and allegedly acted as her handler. During her trip to Pakistan, Malhotra reportedly met another individual named Ali Ehwan, who took responsibility for her lodging and travel arrangements. It was through Ehwan that she is believed to have been introduced to Pakistani intelligence officers, including individuals named Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
In response to these revelations, the Indian government declared Rahim persona non grata on May 13, 2025, and ordered his expulsion within 24 hours. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement citing activities “not in keeping with his official status” as grounds for his removal. A formal protest was also lodged with the Pakistan High Commission regarding the matter.
Evidence linking Malhotra to Rahim includes a video posted on her YouTube channel on March 30, 2024. Recorded during an Iftar event at the Pakistan High Commission, the video shows Malhotra interacting warmly with Rahim and his wife. She is seen praising the hospitality and is even heard inviting the couple to her village in Hisar. “Come see the hospitality in our village. It’s very similar,” she tells them, drawing comparisons between Indian and Pakistani warmth.
Malhotra’s interest in visiting Pakistan was evident throughout the video, as she repeatedly expressed her desire to travel there and discussed the possibility of obtaining a visa. She also approached Chinese officials at the event with a similar request, playfully asking, “Give me visa!”
