Chandigarh, May 17:  In a major crackdown on espionage activities, Haryana Police have arrested six individuals, including a Hisar-based travel blogger and YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra, on charges of spying and sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel titled 'Travel with Jo', had travelled to Pakistan twice in 2023 and reportedly established connections with Pakistani intelligence agents during her visits. She has been remanded to five days of police custody as authorities investigate the full extent of her involvement in the spy network believed to span across Haryana and Punjab.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed at Civil Lines Police Station in Hisar, Malhotra came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, during a 2023 visit. Danish, who was declared persona non grata and expelled from India on May 13, allegedly introduced her to Pakistani intelligence operatives. Police say she subsequently supplied them with sensitive information regarding Indian military installations and movements.

Investigators allege that Malhotra also entered into a personal relationship with one of the operatives and accompanied him on a trip to Bali, Indonesia. She reportedly used encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to communicate, and saved ISI contacts under fake names to avoid detection.

She has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Another accused, Devender Dhillon, a resident of Kaithal district in Haryana, was also arrested for allegedly passing on strategic details, including updates related to Operation Sindoor.

The latest arrests come just days after Punjab Police detained two individuals — Gazala and Yameen Mohammad, residents of Malerkotla — for alleged espionage activities linked to an official from the Pakistan High Commission. Two mobile phones were seized from them during the operation.

Earlier this week, Amritsar (Rural) Police had also apprehended two suspects — Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih — accused of leaking photographs and sensitive data of army cantonments and airbases to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.

According to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, initial investigations have revealed that the accused were receiving payments via online transactions for sharing classified information. The accused allegedly acted on the instructions of their handler and were also involved in funnelling funds to other local operatives.

Senior Superintendent of Police Gagan Ajit Singh stated that Gazala admitted to leaking army movement details in exchange for money. She reportedly received Rs. 30,000 in two instalments through UPI transactions from her handler.

Authorities said the arrests mark a significant breakthrough in uncovering and disrupting cross-border espionage networks, underlining India’s commitment to national security.

Source: IANS