7 July 2025 : YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra who is currently in police custody for allegedly spying for Pakistan, had earlier visited Kerala on state government invite as part of an official tourism promotion initiative, a Right to Information (RTI) reply has revealed.
The RTI response, now in the public domain, confirms that Jyoti Malhotra’s travel, accommodation, and itinerary expenses were fully funded by the Kerala tourism department, reported news agency ANI. Her visit was part of a state-run influencer collaboration programme aimed at boosting Kerala’s visibility as a digital travel destination.
Her travel history have been a major part of the ongoing investigation as she had travelled to Pakistan several times and established contact with Pakistani intelligence officials. Her contacts listed some high-profile name including members of the Pakistan High Commission, one such officer was expelled by India after the alleged spy link surfaced.
Covered multiple tourist spots under state-sponsored trip
The 33-year-old vlogger from Haryana was listed among a group of social media influencers engaged by the tourism department between January 2024 and May 2025.
According to official records, Malhotra visited Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar between 2024 and 2025.
One of her videos that went viral featured her draped in a Kerala sari, attending a traditional Theyyam performance in Kannur.
Jyoti Malhotra was in touch with expelled Pak High Commission staffer
Jyoti Malhotra was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension area on May 16 and booked under sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, officials said.
While the Hisar Police have not found any evidence suggesting she had access to defence or military-related information, investigators maintain that Malhotra was knowingly in contact with individuals linked to Pakistani intelligence.
According to police sources, Malhotra had been in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim also known as Danish, a staff member of the Pakistan High Commission, since November 2023. Danish was expelled by the Indian government on May 13 for allegedly engaging in espionage activities.
Officials claimed last month that Pakistani intelligence operatives were actively trying to cultivate Malhotra as an asset.
Judicial custody extended again
A Hisar court on June 23 extended Malhotra’s judicial custody by another two weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for July 7, Monday, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“Earlier, her bail application was rejected by judicial magistrate first class Sunil Kumar on June 12. We will file a bail application in the district sessions court. It’s a normal process to bring her to court after 14 days and extend the judicial custody until she gets a regular bail,” said her lawyer, Kumar Mukesh.
Malhotra had previously been remanded to judicial custody on May 26, followed by extensions on June 9 and June 23
She is among 12 individuals arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in a coordinated crackdown on a suspected espionage network that allegedly targeted Indian content creators and influencers to extract information.
Her YouTube channel, Travel with Jo, features over 480 videos from countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
Summary:
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, later arrested for spying for Pakistan, was invited by Kerala Tourism as part of a funded influencer campaign, RTI documents reveal.