‘Pakistan spy' Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on govt invitation, reveals RTI; state tourism min reacts
Malhotra was part of a tourism promotion campaign organised by the Kerala Tourism Department, which funded a group of social media influencers to enhance the state's digital visibility as a travel destination, ANI reported.
The RTI response confirms that Malhotra's travel, stay, and itinerary expenses were fully covered by the department during her visit, according to a report by ANI.
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.
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, ANI reported.
Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas on Sunday said that the Left government in the state and its ministers would never "knowingly" invite spies here and provide them with all facilities.
Riyas remarked in response to reporters' queries regarding BJP leader K Surendran's allegation that social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested in May on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, was invited to Kerala to promote tourism in the state.
Surendran, in a post on social media platform 'X', also referred to an RTI reply confirming such an invitation to Malhotra and questioned why 'a Pak-linked spy's trip' was sponsored by Kerala Tourism.
One of her earlier viral clips shows her dressed in a traditional Kerala sari while attending a Theyyam performance in Kannur, highlighting her role in cultural and tourism-focused content creation.
Malhotra is among 12 individuals arrested in a coordinated crackdown across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, targeting a suspected spy network accused of using Indian social media influencers to gather intelligence.
The Left government in the state and its ministers would never 'knowingly' invite spies here.
Her YouTube channel, Travel with Jo, features 487 videos, including travel content from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
Key Takeaways Government initiatives can unintentionally invite scrutiny when involving individuals with controversial backgrounds.
The importance of thorough vetting in influencer collaborations for public campaigns.
Understanding the implications of social media influencers in national security contexts.
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