'Spy' Jyoti Malhotra Was Kerala Government's Guest In Tourism Campaign

Jyoti Malhotra, the travel vlogger from Haryana's Sirsa arrested on espionage charges, was the Kerala government's guest in a campaign to promote tourism and visited the southern state during its influencer outreach initiative.

According to a Mathrubhumi report, a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that the Kerala government funded the trip of 41 influencers chosen to promote the southern state as a global tourist destination. The state government paid for their travel, accommodation and food. It roped in a private agency to help them with shooting videos during their stay. Among these 41 influencers was Jyoti Malhotra.

With the revelation prompting opposition parties to target the state government, Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas said Jyoti Malhotra was invited along with other influencers to promote 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." 

He said the allegations being made against the state government over inviting her are "pure propaganda" and that the state government "would never knowingly invite a spy".

Opposition parties, including the Congress and the BJP, have targeted the Left Front government, questioning why the backgrounds of influencers invited for the campaign were not properly checked before reaching out to them.

"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.

During her stay in Kerala, Jyoti Malhotra visited Kochi, Kannur, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Munnar, and Thiruvananthapuram. She shot vlogs on Theyyam performances and captured scenic locations. These vlogs were shared on her YouTube channel, Travel with Jo, and other social media platforms.

The 33-year-old vlogger had visited the state before the allegations of spying surfaced. She was arrested in May 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Following her arrest, Haryana Police said Pakistani intelligence agencies were grooming her as an asset. A video of the YouTuber shopping in Lahore while being surrounded by men armed with AK-47 rifles indicated the kind of security and access she enjoyed in Pakistan, very unlike just another vlogger.

Agencies are now investigating whether her videos may have served as a cover for gathering intelligence. Jyoti Malhotra, police have found, also visited Pakistan shortly before the terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 innocents dead.