The Haryana Police on Friday arrested a travel vlogger from Hisar for allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence agencies during Operation Sindoor, reported The Print.

The vlogger, Jyoti Malhotra, has been charged under the Official Secrets Act sections pertaining to espionage and wrongful communication of information for the benefit of a foreign power, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section that penalises acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, according to The Indian Express.

She has been remanded to five days of police custody.

The police claimed that Malhotra told them she had visited the Pakistan High Commission in 2023 to obtain a visa, where she came in contact with an official named Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish. She shared his phone number with the police and admitted staying in touch with him, The Indian Express reported.

The police said she received her visa in 2023 and travelled to Pakistan twice. During one of her trips, she allegedly met a man named Ali Ahwan on Danish’s instructions. Ahwan allegedly arranged her travel and accommodation, and introduced her to two Pakistani intelligence officials – Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.

The vlogger allegedly shared sensitive information about key Indian installations with the three men. She also continued meeting Danish during this time, the police alleged.

Danish was declared persona non grata by the Indian government on May 13 and ordered to leave the country for allegedly indulging in actions “not in keeping with his official status”.

“By engaging in suspicious activities with a citizen of an enemy country who has been declared persona non grata by the Government of India on charges of espionage, and by exchanging India’s sensitive intelligence information, Jyoti has committed an offense that endangers the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India,” The Print cited a note from the police as saying.

Malhotra has also been accused of allegedly promoting a favourable image of Pakistan through her content, The Indian Express quoted the police as saying.

This came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. The tensions escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and seven defence personnel were killed.

On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an “understanding” to halt firing following a four-day conflict.