In Short
- Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Haryana, arrested on espionage charges
- Kerala government funded her trip as part of tourism influencer campaign
- State Tourism Minister denied prior knowledge of her alleged espionage links
Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Haryana’s Sirsa now under arrest on espionage charges, was once hosted by the Kerala government as part of its influencer campaign to promote tourism in the state.
According to news agency ANI, a Right to Information (RTI) query revealed that Malhotra was among 41 social media influencers whose trips were fully funded by the state government under an initiative to market Kerala as a global tourist destination. The state bore the cost of their travel, accommodation and food, and even engaged a private agency to assist the influencers with video shoots during their stay.
Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammad Riyas defended the decision, saying the government had no knowledge of Malhotra’s alleged espionage links at that time. “We had no clue about any such connections when she was invited. It has all come out only now,” Riyas said, questioning whether anyone would believe that the government or the department would have knowingly facilitated her visit if they had known.
“People know about it. Do you think the ministers or the government in Kerala would arrange everything for her to carry out espionage? This was a standard practice the tourism department has followed for years,” he said. The minister also urged to verify how influencers are shortlisted, stressing that neither the ministers nor the government directly handle such invitations.
“It’s a serious issue and everyone should exercise more caution. Please check the procedure,” he added.
Meanwhile, the BJP has criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government, questioning why the backgrounds of influencers invited for the campaign were not thoroughly vetted beforehand.
“RTI reveals Pakistani spy Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on Left government invite & was state guest in a sense courtesy Tourism Dept. So Bharat Mata is blocked and Pak Spies are given RED CARPET by Left? Tourism Minister Mohammad Riyas is son in law of Vijayan. He should be sacked.. and investigated,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X.
Jyoti, who was arrested on May 16, just days after Operation Sindoor, was among 41 social media influencers engaged by the Kerala Tourism Department between January 1, 2024, and May 21, 2025, official RTI documents have revealed. During the state-sponsored promotional campaign, she travelled to Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar, with the government covering her travel costs and providing her an honorarium for the assignment.
