The inquiry into the espionage case concerning the popular YouTuber and vlogger Jyoti Malhotra from Hisar has been disclosing alarming details consistently. According to the reports, Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, expelled staffer of the Pakistan High Commission, attempted to cultivate over two dozen people in the capital who had either filed for a visa to Pakistan or were related to the applicants.
Notably, the conspiracy extended far deeper than it initially appeared. A special branch officer indicated that the Delhi Police launched a preliminary probe in response to information from the Pakistan desk of the police’s intelligence branch that raised concerns. An investigation by Delhi Police unveiled that Danish was an inspector-rank officer with Pakistan’s notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) rather than a visa officer as the high commission had stated.
“He was reporting to a senior ISI officer named Shoaib and was tasked with arranging Indian SIM cards, besides recruiting influencers. Danish’s passport was issued at Islamabad, and he was granted a visa for India on 21st January 2022. According to documents, Danish was born in Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab province,” according to a source, reported The Times of India.
Danish was banned from India on 13th May after it was revealed that he assisted in hiring and supervising Indian nationals who were assigned to collect confidential data and spread pro-Pakistan sentiments on the internet. He was in contact with Jyoti Malhotra who was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension on 16th May.
She ran her YouTube channel “Travel with JO” and went to Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and a few more places. She has around 4 lakh subscribers on the platform and 1,32,000 followers on Instagram.
According to authorities, Jyoti Malhotra was charged under sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and the Official Secrets Act. She is currently being held by the Haryana Police and her custody extended by four days on 22nd May. Her laptop and three cell phones have been transferred for forensic analysis by the police.
Her four bank accounts are also under probe. The nature of the intelligence she shared with the Pakistani operatives is being looked into by agencies. She was questioned by representatives of the Intelligence Bureau, the National Investigation Agency and military intelligence. They are also examining her travel itinerary and business dealings.
Ties between Jyoti and Danish
Danish received a visa for India on 21st January 2022 and his passport was issued from Islamabad. He was born in Narowal, in the Punjab province of Pakistan, according to a report in India Today. Security organizations are currently investigating if Danish was his true name or an ISI-provided code name.
According to sources, he worked at the Pakistan High Commission’s visa desk in Delhi but his true duties included espionage and laying traps for Pakistani spies. Jyoti Malhotra was being swiftly developed as an intelligence asset by him. The YouTuber admitted to security agencies that she first spoke with him in 2023 while applying for a visa at the Pakistan High Commission.
She took his number and they stayed in touch. She had been in constant communication with him ever since. He assisted her in obtaining an extension for her Pakistani visa, organized place for her to stay and facilitated introductions to various intelligence operatives,
The vlogger added that she met Ali Hassan, Danish’s contact in Pakistan, who made travel and lodging arrangements for her. Shakir and Rana Shahbaz, two intelligence officials were introduced to her by the former. She reportedly met them in Lahore and saved Shakir’s phone number as “Jatt Randhawa.”
Shakir targeted Indians, particularly YouTubers, in search of financial gain or travel chances. He changed his name three times in a single year – Walton, Mehr Shakir and Shakir Date. Following Jyoti Malhotra’s arrest, his WhatsApp business account was deleted. He also uses a Saudi number. He made two Facebook pages to connect with Indian vloggers and he has several Indians on his friend list.
In a further twist of events, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company is now under the lense, adding another layer to the case. According to sources, the sponsorship that Jyoti Malhotra received from a travel firm based in the United Arab Emirates is of special interest to the investigative authorities. The company Wego, which is also licensed to operate in Pakistan has sponsored several of her videos.
It is a travel firm licensed to operate in Pakistan and has operations in Singapore and Dubai. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also granted it accreditation. Although there isn’t evidence that Wego is sponsoring Pakistan, the company’s activities there have prompted suspicions.
Pakistan’s spy-ring in India
Jyoti Malhotra is among multiple Pakistani spies recently apprehended following “Operation Sindoor” which occurred in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. The startling revelations following the development and the Islamic Republic’s strategy to destabilize India from within might come as a shock or surprise, however, the country has been previously exposed for using similar tactics.
According to reports, Pakistani officials screened people like job applicants and sought signs of monetary need, enthusiasm in traveling to Pakistan and financial desperation. Jyoti Malhotra was a YouTuber with access and social reach, traveling alone and unemployed following Covid and hence she turned into an ideal candidate.
“She could easily blend in anywhere. That made her useful to Pakistani handlers. That’s when she was contacted by an intelligence agent,” per Dainik Bhaskar.
The Delhi Police and Military Intelligence (MI) conducted a sting operation in 2021 as well, exposing a visa officer of Pakistani descent named Rana Mohammad Zia. It was discovered that he was an ISI spy employed by the Pakistan High Commission as a visa officer. Habib, a military contractor connected to him was detained in Pokhran .
Two such Pakistan High Commission officials were discovered to be ISI operatives on 31st May 2020, after being exposed by Delhi Police’s Special Cell and MI for acting as visa officers in India. They were identified as Tahir Khan and Abid Hussain. The officials were sent back to Pakistan after being deemed persona non grata.
The strength of the Pakistan High Commission was reduced from 180 to 90 immediately following this incident. Security services have been often contacted over the years by employees of the Pakistan High Commission who are ISI agents. They create their passports under false pretenses and travel to India for espionage purposes.
Mehmood Akhtar, an ISI officer who masqueraded as a visa officer at the high commission was unmasked by Delhi Police and MI in 2016. Two of his Indian friends were detained, revealing their method of operation while he was released on diplomatic immunity. He was hired by ISI and assigned to the Delhi high commission in 2013.
At the time of his arrest, documents pertaining to border and defense deployment were uncovered from his possession. Likewise, a spy ring linked to Pakistani intelligence was busted by Delhi Police and military intelligence in 2015, leading to the arrest of five individuals, including an Air Force officer.
Pakistan High Commission and espoinage
It is noteworthy that there has long been a connection between espionage and the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Sources mentioned that ISI rotates its operatives among different positions while planting them in the high commission for its sinister plans.
The inquiry into these Pakistani intelligence officials (PIOs) revealed that the ISI consistently reintegrates army officers, provides them with training in espionage techniques and dispatches them to the high commission using bogus passports and identities.
The Public Information Officers assist visa applicants in locating vulnerable members of the army or paramilitary forces in exchange for easier visa processing. Additionally, the visa seekers aid them in acquiring Indian mobile SIM cards, which are subsequently utilized for reaching out to potential agents, as stated by a senior official. The probe found out that PIOs were attempting to enlist a few Indian social media personalities to promote their agenda.
It is clear that the recent revelations represent merely the tip of the iceberg and there are numerous other YouTubers and influencers on Islamabad’s payroll in the country. While Pakistan may not possess the skills or ability to combat India in warfare, it certainly excels in employing unscrupulous methods and fabricating a tapestry of lies and trickery.
