Days after the arrest of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, on charges of spying for Pakistan, a Pakistani journalist and social media influencer, Hira Batool, has come out in her support. Without taking Jyoti's name, the journalist opposed the arrest.
Jyoti was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension in Haryana's Hisar on May 16 and booked under the relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act and the BNS. She was among 12 people who were arrested from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the past two weeks on charges of espionage, with investigators pointing at an alleged Pakistan-linked spy network operating in north India.
See Hira Batool's post
In a post on Instagram without naming Jyoti, Batool said, "India has now started targeting its own people. India, stop useless action."
Jyoti and Hira's connection
Jyoti Malhotra, the YouTuber behind the channel 'Travel with Joe', met Hira Batool during her 2023 visit to Pakistan. The two shared a visibly close bond, referring to each other as 'sisters' in several social media posts. Hira Batool also featured in some of Jyoti's vlogs, with the two seen visiting prominent spots like the Attari-Wagah border and Lahore's Anarkali market together.
According to intelligence agency findings, several of Jyoti's Pakistan-related social media posts gained traction due to coordinated promotion by influencers across the border, including Hira Batool.
She is accused of sharing sensitive information with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and promoting an anti-India narrative. Investigation revealed that Jyoti was in contact with Pakistan High Commission employee Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish since 2023, who was expelled from the country by the Government of India on charges of espionage on May 13, 2025.
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