Jyoti Malhotra Deleted 'Operation Sindoor' Chats, Devices Sent for Forensics

K N Mishra

    20/May/2025

What's covered under the Article:

  • Jyoti Malhotra deleted chats related to Operation Sindoor and a blackout, raising suspicions of tampering with espionage evidence.

  • NIA, IB, and Haryana Police are jointly investigating; her devices were found to contain apps that delete messages automatically.

  • Jyoti's videos and international travel history reveal suspicious activity near borders, prompting a deeper ISI link investigation.

In a high-profile case that has sent shockwaves across India's intelligence and digital landscape, Jyoti Malhotra, a popular Indian YouTuber and travel vlogger, has become the central figure in a deepening espionage probe. Known for her YouTube channel Travel with JO, Malhotra was arrested in Hisar, Haryana, under grave allegations of spying for Pakistan. The case took a dramatic turn after investigators discovered that key digital evidence — including chats related to ‘Operation Sindoor’ — had been deliberately deleted.

The Deleted Chats: Operation Sindoor and Blackout Incident

According to authoritative sources, Jyoti Malhotra had direct digital communication with Danish, a former staffer of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Danish was expelled from India on May 13, 2025, after being declared persona non grata for espionage activities.

Investigators revealed that Malhotra deleted chats discussing “Operation Sindoor” and sensitive information about a blackout in Hisar, including administrative activities like sirens and official alerts. These chats are now central to the inquiry, with security agencies asserting that the deletions appear intentional, aiming to obstruct justice and tamper with critical evidence.

The chats and their deletion were considered significant because they occurred during key national security moments, suggesting Malhotra may have been feeding intelligence to Pakistani operatives.

Devices Seized for Forensic Examination

Malhotra’s two mobile phones and her laptop have been confiscated and sent for forensic analysis. Investigators are attempting to recover deleted data, particularly encrypted messages and multimedia content.

Forensic experts believe that even though chats were deleted, metadata, backups, and cache files may yield vital clues. Her use of self-destructing messaging apps where conversations automatically vanish within 24 hours, adds a layer of sophistication to what the agencies are now calling a “tech-savvy espionage ring.”

Links to Danish and the ISI Spy Network

The investigation has unveiled a wider network allegedly operated by Pakistan’s ISI, where social media influencers and independent digital operatives were recruited to gather intelligence and propagate false narratives.

Jyoti Malhotra’s connection to Danish extends beyond digital communication. During questioning, she reportedly misled the investigation team by denying the depth of her relationship with him. It later emerged that Danish had introduced Jyoti to his wife and other Pakistani intelligence operatives, suggesting a high level of trust and collaboration.

Travel Patterns Under Scrutiny

Malhotra’s travel history is also under the scanner. Her journeys to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Dubai, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan have been mapped by intelligence agencies. A pattern of suspicious timing and location visits has emerged.

For example, she visited Pakistan for the Baisakhi festival in May 2014 but stayed for over 20 days, far beyond the festival period. After this, she travelled to China, where she stayed for a month. The agencies are now probing:

  • Who she met in Pakistan after the festival

  • Whether she had meetings with ISI handlers

  • If her China trip was pre-planned while still in Pakistan

These events raise concerns about strategic handovers of sensitive information, particularly relating to border surveillance and security arrangements.

Video Evidence Points to Espionage

A detailed analysis of Jyoti’s YouTube content and travel blogs has further exposed patterns suggestive of espionage. While her videos claim to document religious or cultural tourism, experts found them heavily focused on border regions, especially near the India-Pakistan and India-Afghanistan frontiers.

Her videos often minimized religious narratives and highlighted security installations, road layouts, and troop movements, camouflaged as local exploration. These findings have now become critical in establishing intent and motive.

Agencies Involved and Current Status

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Haryana Police are jointly interrogating Malhotra. Officials have discovered encrypted communication, anonymized content sharing platforms, and possibly even foreign fund transfers.

She is currently in custodial interrogation, and as per sources, continues to evade key questions. She also refuses to disclose certain passcodes, prompting cyber experts to employ brute-force methods to unlock crucial evidence.

Espionage Through Technology: A Growing Concern

The case of Jyoti Malhotra has brought to light a growing concern among Indian intelligence circles — the use of digital platforms by foreign intelligence agencies to recruit influencers, freelancers, and unsuspecting travelers as covert assets.

Unlike traditional spies, these new-age operatives work through encrypted apps, VPNs, and social platforms, making it harder to trace their actions. The network Jyoti is allegedly part of represents a new wave of technologically advanced spying.

National Security Ramifications

This case is more than just about one YouTuber. It points toward a systematic attempt to infiltrate Indian digital spaces, especially in the post-pandemic surge of influencer culture. The fusion of social media influence with covert espionage gives foreign agencies like the ISI a dangerous advantage.

Authorities are now revisiting visas granted for cultural or religious tourism, especially to sensitive nations like Pakistan and China, and may revise entry protocols for digital content creators.

What Happens Next

  • The forensic report from her devices will be crucial in determining the extent of her involvement.

  • Officials are collating data from her financial transactions, cross-border communications, and social media contacts.

  • More arrests could follow if the broader ISI-linked network is confirmed.

  • Jyoti may be charged under the Official Secrets Act, IPC Sections related to espionage, and digital crimes.

This case serves as a cautionary tale for how national security threats now manifest in cyberspace, often behind the masks of influencers and content creators. With India stepping up its counter-intelligence operations, the coming weeks may see a crackdown on digital espionage rings that have remained invisible — until now.

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