Indian travel YouTuber among six arrested for ‘spying for Pakistan’

Days after the success of Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan Um Mursoos against India, authorities across the border have arrested six of their own citizens, including a travel vlogger from Haryana, for “spying for Pakistan”

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Indian media reports quoted officials as saying that the six people, including vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, were allegedly in contact with officials at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

Jyoti, who runs the YouTube channel Travel with Jo, visited Pakistan in 2023 with a valid visa. During her trip, she reportedly met a Pakistan High Commission staffer, who was declared persona non grata and expelled from India earlier this month.

According to Indian officials, the vlogger allegedly maintained contact with the high commission staffer besides other Pakistani individuals through WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat. Without any publicly shared evidence, the officials have also claimed that Jyoti passed on sensitive information and projected a positive image of Pakistan on her social media platforms.

It merits a mention that praising Pakistan or showing goodwill towards the country has often led to strong reactions in India. 

Indian media claimed that Jyoti entered into a personal relationship with one of the Pakistani nationals and even travelled with him to Bali. She is now facing charges under India's newly introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the century-old Official Secrets Act of 1923. Her case has been handed over to the Economic Offences Wing in Hisar.

Indian authorities have also arrested 32-year-old widow named Guzala from Malerkotla, Punjab, accusing her of applying for a Pakistani visa and allegedly receiving money from the same high commission staffer. Her friend Banu Nasreena was also arrested, along with three other Indian men, namely Yameen Mohammad over accusations of financial dealings, Devinder Singh Dhillon for alleged filming of military areas, and one Arman for allegedly providing SIM cards and attending a Defence Expo.

Indian media, quoting officials, said the arrests were part of what they described as a “larger espionage network”, however, no concrete evidence or formal proof has been publicly shared so far and further probe is underway. Meanwhile, the repeated pattern of blaming Pakistan or linking cross-border interaction with espionage reflects the increasingly fascistic tendencies of the Modi government.

While Pakistan is yet to react to the reports, many believe that Indian authorities often overreact to soft diplomatic gestures, cultural exchanges or even individual travel visits, labelling them unfairly under the pretext of national security.