In her personal diary, arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra described Pakistan as ‘colourful’; what else it reveals

In new details emerging from Jyoti Malhotra’s espionage case –  in which the Haryana-based YouTuber was apprehended on charges of spying for Pakistan — a personal diary has been recovered, reportedly containing vivid accounts of her reflections and journeys, including specific mentions of her experiences across the border.

The diary spans 10 to 11 pages, with eight pages dedicated to general travel notes in English, and three pages in Hindi specifically detailing her time in Pakistan.

An entry in Hindi, which she reportedly wrote after returning from her Pakistan trip, read: “After completing a 10-day journey through Pakistan, today I return to my country, India. We don’t know how long the distances of borders will remain, but may the grievances of hearts disappear. We all belong to the same land, the same soil.”

Also read | New evidence emerges in Jyoti Malhotra espionage case; cops say she used encrypted apps to maintain deception

She also praised the hospitality she received in the Islamic nation and expressed hope that more Hindus could visit their ancestral sites.

She wrote about one of the requests she made to the Pakistani authorities: “Protect the temples there and let Indians meet their families from whom they were separated in 1947,” according to an NDTV report.

She described her time in the neighbouring country as “crazy” and “colourful”, adding that the experience was beyond words.

Read | After Jyoti Malhotra, Haryana man Armaan arrested for spying for Pakistan, police say, ‘sharing info through WhatsApp’

The 33-year-old YouTuber is currently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Following Jyoti’s arrest, her Instagram account — which had 1.33 lakh followers – was blocked on Monday.

Reportedly, her followers surged to over 70,000 just a day after her arrest, and more than a lakh people searched for her on Google.

Jyoti — who also runs a YouTube channel, Travel with Jo, with 3.77 lakh subscribers — undertook several sponsored trips to Pakistan and visited the country shortly before the Pahalgam terror attack.

Police revealed on Sunday that Jyoti had been “developed as an asset”. They clarified that while she maintained communication with her handlers in Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India, she had no access to sensitive defence information. She was reportedly directed by Pakistani operatives to present the country in a favourable light.

According to the report, the investigation so far has revealed that Malhotra was in touch with multiple Pakistani nationals since 2023, when she first visited Pakistan. Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, appears to be her primary contact.

Malhotra also told police that she had saved the number of a Pakistani agent, Shakir, as “Jat Randhawa” to avoid detection. Other Pakistani contacts, such as Ali Ahwan, helped her with security cover while she was in Pakistan. She was also introduced to several intelligence officials during her visits, the report said.