Jyoti Malhotra's arrest on espionage charges brings Indian travel vloggers under scrutiny, influencers on the radar for Pakistan trips
The arrest of influencer and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra on espionage charges has shifted the focus to India's travel vlogging community, with some of her close associates also facing scrutiny. From Navankur Choudhary to Priyankaa Senapati, check out travel influencers who are now on the radar for their Pakistan travels.
The arrest of travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, also known as Jyoti Rani, on espionage charges has sent shockwaves through India¡¯s online travel community. Accused of leaking sensitive military information to Pakistan, the 33-year-old¡¯s case has not only raised national security concerns but also sparked a flurry of online speculation about other Indian travel influencers who were seen alongside her or had previously visited Pakistan.
Allegations against Jyoti Malhotra
Jyoti Malhotra, a travel influencer from Haryana, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly spying for Pakistan and passing on sensitive information about the Indian military. She is one of six individuals booked under espionage charges.
According to a report by NDTV, Malhotra first travelled to Pakistan in 2023 using a visa arranged by commission agents. During that visit, she is said to have met Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Investigators claim she later established close ties with Rahim, who introduced her to Pakistani intelligence operatives. Even after returning to India, she reportedly stayed in touch with them.
She has been accused of leaking sensitive details about Indian Army movements, especially in the Haryana and Punjab regions. Her repeated visits to Pakistan, a later trip to Kashmir, and even travelling to Bali with a suspected Pakistani handler have all become key points in the investigation, as authorities suspect her involvement in a larger espionage network.
More travel influencers on the radar
While authorities have not named or launched official investigations into other influencers, internet users have begun scrutinising Jyoti Malhotra's known associates, highlighting their past collaborations, social media posts, and travel history.
One of them is Navankur Chaudhary, a Haryanvi travel influencer with over 651,000 followers on Instagram who goes by the name Yatri Doctor. A picture shared by Malhotra in March from the Pakistan High Commission featured Chaudhary, with a caption mentioning how both were Haryanvi and chatted in their usual desi style.
Users on X claimed that Chaudhary had spent several days in Pakistan, praised the Pakistan Army in his content, and even used an incorrect map of Kashmir, refusing to change it despite repeated requests.
Yatri Doctor (Navankur Chaudhary) was also with Jyoti Malhotra in Pakistan HC.
¡ª Yanika_Lit (@LogicLitLatte) May 17, 2025
He also spent many days in Pakistan.
He was even praising the Pakistan Army.
He also used the wrong map of Kashmir in his videos.
Many people asked him to change it, but he refused. pic.twitter.com/TmxoVl90oY
Another name in the spotlight is Deepanshu Sangwan, known as nomadic. Indian, who has 143,000 followers. He publicly defended Chaudhary, and a viral post on X alleged that while his peers focused on softening Pakistan¡¯s image, Sangwan¡¯s content was more focused on China.
This guy Nomadic Indian came in support of Navankur Chaudhary aka Doctor Yatri who is a friend of Pakistani spy Jyoti Malhotra.
¡ª Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) May 17, 2025
So, I went to his YouTube channel and found out that he is also a travel vlogger.
While his friends were focused on whitewashing Pakistan, his focus¡ pic.twitter.com/isv2tf3Qb0
Priyankaa Senapati, another travel vlogger originally from Odisha, has also been flagged by the netizens. X users dug up her old content and claimed that she made multiple visits to Pakistan and allegedly posted anti-India commentary.
Hello @NIA_India
¡ª Voice of Hindus (@Warlock_Shubh) May 17, 2025
She is Priyanka Senapati from Odisha, She went Pakistan many times and spread hate against Indians, she is also friend of #JyotiMalhotra, Her love for Pakistan can clearly shown in the pictures. I hope you know what to do! pic.twitter.com/E0LCtWdB23
Following Malhotra's arrest, Priyankaa, along with another influencer, Travel Soumit Bhattacharya (travel_with_soumit), shared identical Instagram stories trying to distance themselves from her. Their statements read: "Since many people are asking, let me clear it first. Jyoti was just a friend of mine, and I came in contact with her through YouTube. I was unaware of anything of which she has been accused. I would not have been in touch with her if I knew she was spying for an enemy country. I knew her professionally through content creation and was personally shocked to hear this. If any investigative agencies wish to cross-question me, I would provide full cooperation. The nation is above all. Jai Hind."
Status of her two blogger friends pic.twitter.com/DmmQLr9zQO
¡ª Anuj (@Anuj_utkala) May 18, 2025
While no charges have been filed against these influencers, Jyoti Malhotra¡¯s arrest has brought attention to India's travel vlogging community. It has also made people question how much of the content we see online could be misleading, and how little we truly know about what happens behind it.
As an Entertainment Content Writer with 3+ Years of experience, I have been keeping a keen eye on who wore what. A self confessed Koreaboo, I am your fangirl next door. Ps: I take pride in saying that I grew up watching "It's Controversial" as a kid.
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