‘We weren’t watchful': Jyoti Malhotra's video on Pahalgam terror attack resurfaces post arrest over spying for Pakistan
In the video, Jyoti Malhotra said that the Pahalgam attack was a responsibility of not just the government but also of the people who ‘weren't watchful enough’.
After the arrest of travel influencer Jyoti Malhotra for allegedly spying for Pakistan, one of her videos has gone viral in which she talked about the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
The video was uploaded on her Instagram page in the immediate aftermath of the attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The Pahalgam terror attack led to India's Operation Sindoor and a four-day conflict with Pakistan.
In the video, Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra said that the Pahalgam attack was a responsibility of not just the government but also of the people who ‘weren't watchful enough’.
"Not just the government, this (attack) is the responsibility of every individual who visits these places and should be watchful. I know J&K has high security, and there are Army and police personnel in every corner. If something like this has happened despite that, then we are also at fault in some way. Perhaps we weren't watchful (enough), which is why this happened. We should be watchful and responsible," she can be heard saying in the video.
Jyoti Malhotra continued her statement, saying whoever supported the terrorists (who carried out the Pahalgam attack) isn't Indian. She also blamed the government for the security lapses.
“If anybody is supporting those terrorists, then we are not Indian. If we are only corrupt and wrong, then that is soul-wrenching. It's very wrong for any country. If anybody has supported those terrorists, it is wrong. We are ourselves responsible for that. Our government is responsible because somewhere, there was a lapse in security. Something went wrong because of which such a big attack happened,” she added.
Since Jyoti Malhotra's arrest in the spying case, her Instagram account seems to have been inactive or deactivated.
The Jyoti Malhotra spying case
Jyoti Malhotra, a popular travel YouTuber from Hisar, was arrested recently on charges of spying for Pakistan. Known online for her travel channel ‘Travel with Jo’, which boasts over 377,000 subscribers, Malhotra has now become a central figure in an ongoing investigation into an alleged Pakistan-linked espionage network operating across northern India.
Jyoti Malhotra was booked under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Her confession and arrest led to a five-day police remand, and her case is now with the Economic Offences Wing for further investigation.
She is accused of projecting a positive image of Pakistan on social media, allegedly as part of a coordinated influence operation.
According to the FIR registered by sub-inspector Sanjay at the Hisar Civil Lines Police Station, Malhotra came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi, during a 2023 visit. Danish allegedly acted as her handler, introducing her to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), and maintained regular communication with her via encrypted platforms.
Malhotra reportedly visited Pakistan twice in 2023, where she met operatives including Ali Ehwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz. She had saved contacts under disguised names like “Jatt Randhawa” to avoid suspicion.
