Haryana YouTuber Arrested For Alleged Espionage After Filming Near Indo-Pak Border

Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested on charges of alleged espionage for Pakistan, following a series of video uploads that reportedly revealed sensitive strategic information near the Indo-Pakistan border in Barmer, Rajasthan.

On 1 January 2024, Jyoti posted a 24-minute video documenting her journey from Barmer to the border town of Munabao.

In the footage, she reportedly displayed station layouts, maps, the proximity of military installations, and distances from the international border content that officials have flagged as sensitive from a national security perspective.

Authorities stated that filming in Munabao requires prior administrative clearance. They are now investigating whether Jyoti had received any such authorisation.

Suspicious Activity In Border Villages

Sources revealed that Jyoti also spent a night in Jhelun village, which lies directly on the Indo-Pakistan border.

She uploaded a video of this visit on 5 January 2024 to both her YouTube channel and Instagram profile.

In the video, she highlighted border fencing and pointed out locations across the frontier.

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In one particularly concerning segment, she stood beside the barbed wire and remarked, “If you walk a little further from here, you’ll find Pakistani soldiers and civilians.”

She also engaged with local residents, asking them how far Pakistan was, who lived across the border, and how long it would take to cross over.

In another scene, she filmed a goat passing through the fencing and speculated it had come from the Pakistani side—raising further red flags for investigators.

Visits To Multiple Sensitive Zones

Apart from Munabao and Jhelun, Jyoti reportedly travelled to a village in Ramsar tehsil, located just 10 kilometres from the border.

There, she spent about an hour at the home of a resident named Khamisha Khan, where she had tea and spoke with local women about rural challenges such as water scarcity and firewood collection. She later proceeded to Gadra Road.

Officials noted that she visited several sensitive locations in Barmer, which are located close to defence infrastructure.

Investigation Intensifies Under NIA Supervision

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has now taken charge of the investigation and has formally detained Jyoti.

Authorities recovered allegedly incriminating documents from her home in Hisar. Authorities have taken her to Chandigarh for detailed interrogation, where officers from the Jammu Intelligence Unit are also questioning her.

In the meantime, her Instagram account has been suspended, and investigators are thoroughly examining her travel history particularly her visits to military and border-adjacent regions.