Pakistan Spy Jyoti Malhotra Was Hired By Kerala Tourism For Influencer Campaign, Reveals RTI

Haryana: A shocking revelation emerged in the ongoing espionage case involving Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel vlogger from Haryana, who was recently arrested for allegedly spying on behalf of Pakistan.

An RTI response has now confirmed that Malhotra was previously hired by the Kerala Tourism Department to promote the state as part of its official digital outreach.

Known for her YouTube channel Travel With Jo, Malhotra was one of the several social media influencers invited by Kerala between 2024 and 2025. Her travel, stay and complete itinerary were entirely funded by the state government as part of a programme to boos Kerala's digital visibility as a global travel destination.

An RTI has revealed that Pakistani spy Jyothi Malhotra was sponsored by Kerala tourism department in recent years. It must be noted that most of her secret visits were to Kerala and she is alleged to have conducted many secret meetings with her Pakistani counterparts in the… pic.twitter.com/zvR1v2N5gV

— S.Jayashankar (@jaypanicker) July 6, 2025

Funded Travel Through Kerala’s Tourist Hotspots

The RTI reply revealed that Malhotra travelled extensively through key destinations such as Kochi, Alappuzha, Munnar, Kannur, and Kozhikode, creating promotional content for her audience. One of her videos, which went viral on the internet, featured her wearing a traditional Kerala sari while attending a Theyyam performance in Kannur.

Her participation was part of Kerala Tourism’s broader influencer collaboration initiative, which sought to leverage online creators to reach wider global audiences. The programme is now under scrutiny in light of the espionage allegations.

Accused of Contact With Pakistani Intelligence

According to intelligence agencies, Malhotra allegedly travelled to Pakistan multiple times and maintained direct contact with officials linked to Pakistani intelligence, including personnel at the Pakistan High Commission in India. One such official was later expelled after the connection surfaced.

Her arrest was part of a wider national crackdown on an espionage network operating across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where 12 individuals have been detained. Agencies suspect a larger effort by foreign intelligence outfits to infiltrate Indian digital platforms through seemingly innocuous influencer channels.

Malhotra’s extensive online content, spanning Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand and various Indian states, is now under investigation for possible information gathering disguised as travel blogging.