BBC Called Out For Headline on Pakistan Spy YouTuber, Gurumurthy Takes to X With Pincer Strike

New Delhi: S. Gurumurthy editor of Thuglak Magazine and leading nationalist thinker, has sharply criticized the BBC over its headline referring to Jyoti Malhotra as a “YouTuber arrested for spying.” 

Taking to social media platform X, Gurumurthy posted, "It is not YouTuber arrested for spying but spy arrested for using YouTubing as cover.” 

Who is Jyoti Malhotra?

Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old social media influencer from Hisar, Haryana, ran a popular travel vlog titled “Travel with Jo”, boasting over 381,000 subscribers and nearly 500 videos since its inception in 2011. 

Her channel featured travel content from various countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, and even Pakistan.

However, behind the curated travel vlogs, Malhotra was allegedly acting as a conduit for sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives. She was arrested by the Hisar police and booked under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, as well as Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with acts endangering national sovereignty and integrity.

Alleged Ties with Pakistan’s High Commission

According to the FIR, Malhotra developed links with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, a Pakistani High Commission official operating under the alias “Danish.” He has since been declared persona non grata by the Indian government. In one of her vlogs, Malhotra is seen attending a Pakistani embassy Iftar party where she warmly greets Rahim, hinting at familiarity.

Police allege she traveled to Pakistan twice in 2023, where she met with individuals identified as Ali Ehwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz. To evade suspicion, she reportedly saved contacts under fake names like “Jatt Randhawa.”

An X user named Kapil Jain had reportedly flagged Malhotra’s suspicious activities as early as May 2024, urging the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate. 

Jain noted that her visits to Pakistan were followed by a trip to Kashmir, suggesting a possible pattern or motive behind the movements.

Malhotra is also accused of traveling to Bali, Indonesia, accompanied by one of the alleged Pakistani intelligence contacts.