Accused Spy Jyoti Malhotra Was Invited to Kerala by State Tourism Department, RTI Reveals

Jyoti Malhotra, the YouTuber currently in police custody on charges of espionage for Pakistan, was previously invited by the Kerala government as part of an official tourism promotion campaign, according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply now in the public domain.

The Kerala Tourism Department fully funded her travel, accommodation, and itinerary under a state-run influencer collaboration initiative aimed at boosting the state’s digital visibility as a travel destination, ANI reported.

Visited Kerala Under State Sponsorship

Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel vlogger from Haryana, was part of a select group of social media influencers engaged by the tourism department between January 2024 and May 2025. During this period, she visited popular destinations including Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar.

One of her widely viewed videos showed her wearing a traditional Kerala sari and attending a Theyyam performance in Kannur.

Espionage Allegations and Pakistan Links

Malhotra was arrested on May 16 from Hisar’s New Aggarsain Extension and charged under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police say she had traveled to Pakistan multiple times and was in direct contact with Pakistani intelligence officials. Among her known contacts was Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a staff member of the Pakistan High Commission who was expelled by India on May 13 over alleged espionage activities.

Investigators believe Pakistani intelligence agencies were attempting to groom Malhotra as an asset, though no sensitive defence-related materials have been recovered from her possession so far.

Judicial Custody Extended

On June 23, a Hisar court extended her judicial custody by another 14 days. Her next hearing is scheduled for July 7.

“Her bail plea was earlier rejected on June 12. We will now approach the district sessions court,” her lawyer, Kumar Mukesh, said.

Malhotra, who runs the YouTube channel Travel with Jo, has over 480 travel videos from countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand. She is among 12 individuals arrested in a multi-state crackdown on a suspected espionage ring targeting Indian content creators.