Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old YouTuber from Haryana who was recently arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, had previously visited Kerala on an official invitation from the state government, according to an RTI (Right to Information) reply that has now surfaced. Malhotra was part of a tourism promotion campaign run by the Kerala Tourism Department, which sponsored a group of social media influencers to boost the state's digital presence as a travel destination.
Jyoti Malhotra's expenses were fully covered by govt
As per the RTI response, Malhotra's travel, stay, and itinerary expenses were fully covered by the department during her visit.
As per official records, Jyoti Malhotra toured Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar between 2024 and 2025 under the government's influencer collaboration initiative. Her participation was listed alongside several other digital creators active between January 2024 and May 2025.
Opposition targets Kerala govt
Following the revelation, which led to criticism from opposition parties, Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas clarified that Jyoti Malhotra was invited along with other social media influencers as part of an initiative to promote tourism in Kerala. "This was part of a larger influencer campaign aimed at promoting Kerala. Everything was done transparently and in good faith," he said. "This is not a government that facilitates espionage. The media must understand how government systems work. No one could have foreseen this."
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the BJP, have criticised the Left Front government in Kerala, questioning why the backgrounds of social media influencers invited for the tourism campaign were not thoroughly checked before being selected.
"RTI reveals Pakistani spy Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on Left government invite & was state guest in a sense courtesy Tourism Dept. So Bharat Mata is blocked and Pak Spies are given RED CARPET by Left? Tourism Minister Mohammad Riyas is son in law of Vijayan. He should be sacked.. and investigated," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X.
Jyoti Malhotra case
Investigations have since revealed that Malhotra had travelled to Pakistan multiple times and had established contacts with officials from Pakistani intelligence agencies, including personnel from the Pakistan High Commission. One such official was later expelled by India after their association came to light.
Malhotra is one of 12 individuals arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh as part of a coordinated crackdown on a suspected spy ring that allegedly targeted Indian social media influencers to gather intelligence.
Her YouTube channel, 'Travel with Jo', hosts 487 videos, many of which are from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Notably, one of her earlier viral videos featured her wearing a Kerala sari and attending a Theyyam performance in Kannur.
(With ANI inputs)
Here is the list of 'related stories' in Jyoti Malhotra's case
