Category: Featured

In a startling development with serious national security implications, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is suspected of using Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to gather intelligence on Indian undercover agents. Malhotra is currently in five-day police custody and is being interrogated by a joint team comprising the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Haryana Police. Sources reveal that WhatsApp chats between Malhotra and a suspected ISI handler, identified as Ali Hasan, have surfaced. The conversations reportedly contain coded language referencing India’s covert operations. In one exchange, Hasan asked Malhotra whether she had observed any individuals receiving “special protocol” during her visit to the Attari border, suggesting this as a way to identify undercover operatives. The specific mention of terms like “protocol” and “undercover agent” in these chats has raised red flags for Indian intelligence agencies. When Hasan asked, “Who received the protocol when you were at Attari?”, Malhotra allegedly responded that no such treatment was observed. Hasan hinted that identifying those who receive protocol is a method used to spot intelligence personnel. Malhotra replied, “They weren’t that stupid.” Investigators are now probing whether Malhotra knowingly collaborated with ISI or was unknowingly manipulated as part of a broader espionage and influence operation. Authorities are also examining her connections with Pakistani officials, particularly Ehsan Dar alias Danish — a Pakistani High Commission official who was recently declared persona non grata by India on May 13. Malhotra first traveled to Pakistan in 2023 for the 324th Vaisakhi Festival. Since then, her continued interactions with Pakistani individuals have come under intense scrutiny. Though she initially denied having links with Ehsan Dar, officials allege she has been evasive during questioning and has attempted to mislead investigators. Apart from her travel-related YouTube content, Malhotra recently drew controversy when she posted a video after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which she blamed Indian security forces — further fueling concerns of her involvement in cross-border propaganda or influence operations. Intelligence officials are now exploring the possibility that she may be a part of a larger spy network orchestrated by Pakistan.

The Indian Army on Monday confirmed that the Golden Temple in Amritsar was among the intended targets of a large-scale drone and missile attack launched by Pakistan on May 8, following India’s preemptive strikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Thanks to prior intelligence inputs and robust air defence, the sacred Sikh shrine remained completely unharmed. Major General Kartik C. Seshadri, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15 Infantry Division, stated that the Army had anticipated such an attack, especially considering Pakistan’s past pattern of targeting civilian and religious locations when military targets are limited. “Knowing that the Pakistani Army lacks legitimate targets, we expected them to focus on Indian military installations and civilian areas, including religious sites. Among these, the Golden Temple stood out as a prominent target,” he said in an interview. In response to the threat, the Indian Army deployed advanced air defence systems around the Golden Temple, establishing what Maj Gen Seshadri described as a “holistic air defence umbrella” to prevent any potential damage.

In a harrowing incident that has shaken an entire community, the charred bodies of an elderly woman and four children—whom she was desperately trying to protect—were found tightly embraced on the first floor of a burning house. The woman, believed to be their grandmother, held the children close as flames engulfed the home in the Modi household. One of her hands still clutched a mobile phone with its flashlight on—likely used in her final moments to search for help or light the darkness. Local first responders Mir Zahid and Mohd Azmat, who rushed in to help, were left traumatized by what they witnessed. “She must have tried to protect them from the flames,” said Zahid, visibly shaken. “They were all gone when we got there. I will never forget what I saw.” The pair broke into the house by smashing through the wall of an adjacent building. But by the time they reached the victims, most had already succumbed to the blaze. They retrieved seven bodies in total from the house, including two more found in the same room. Azmat added, “We placed a bedsheet over them because the sight was too painful. All of them had burn injuries. I don’t think words can ever do justice to what we saw.”