Jyoti Malhotra, arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, visited Kerala on govt’s invitation
Punjab-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was recently arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, had visited Kerala on an invitation from the state government, an official document has revealed.
According to a response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, Jyoti was among the 41 influencers sponsored by the Kerala Tourism Department as part of its social media promotion.
The document has further shown that Jyoti’s visits to Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar were funded by the state.
In response to the RTI query, the tourism board has shared the whole list of influencers with whom it collaborated between January 2024 and May 2025.
The 33-year-old YouTuber, who hails from Punjab’s Hisar, was arrested on May 16 and booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said Jyoti was in contact with some people, aware that they were Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIO). It’s not immediately clear whether she had access to any military or defence-related sensitive information.
Jyoti was also allegedly in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023. India expelled Danish on May 13 for allegedly indulging in espionage.
Police claimed the Pakistani agencies were developing her as an 'asset'.
The YouTuber's arrest was part of an intense crackdown launched by security agencies on the Pakistan-linked spy network in India in the wake of Operation Sindoor.
India carried out air strikes on the terrorist hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam attack, sparking an intense military conflict between the neighbouring countries.
After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 civilians, were killed, Jyoti posted a video in which she suggested that the attack was the result of complacency on the part of the government as well as the tourists who were not alert.
It is suspected that this video was her attempt to influence the public opinion.
Jyoti’s YouTube channel (Travel with JO) and Instagram accounts have 3.77 lakh subscribers and 1.33 lakh followers respectively.
India