RTI reveals Kerala govt sponsoring visit of spy suspect Jyoti Malhotra

Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (IANS) The Kerala government has come under heavy fire after it was revealed that Jyoti Malhotra, a social media influencer recently arrested on espionage charges, had visited the state as part of a government-sponsored tourism promotion campaign.

Malhotra, a Haryana-based vlogger, is now accused of leaking sensitive information to Pakistan.

Shockingly, her entire trip across Kerala was facilitated and funded by the state’s Tourism Department under an official influencer outreach initiative.

Documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act confirm that her travel, accommodation, food, and even filming arrangements were handled by a private agency contracted by the department. She was among 41 influencers selected to promote Kerala as a global tourist destination.

During her multi-city visit, Malhotra toured Kochi, Kannur, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Munnar, and Thiruvananthapuram. She arrived in Kerala via Kannur airport after travelling from Delhi to Bengaluru.

Her vlogs included visuals of Theyyam performances and scenic locations, all of which were shared on her YouTube channel Travel with Jo and other social media platforms. She eventually returned to Delhi by train.

At the time of her visit, no suspicions had been raised regarding her activities. However, her arrest in May 2025 under the Official Secrets Act has now cast a shadow over the episode.

Central intelligence agencies are probing whether her video content may have served as a cover for intelligence-gathering. Investigators are also examining whether she accessed strategically sensitive locations or communicated with Pakistani handlers during her stay.

Adding to the growing alarm, Haryana Police have confirmed that Malhotra had visited Pakistan shortly before the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir - raising serious questions about her potential ties to ISI operatives.

Amid the controversy, Kerala’s Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas defended the decision to bring Malhotra to the state. He insisted that the program was launched with good intentions and followed the precedents set by previous governments.

“This was part of a larger influencer campaign aimed at promoting Kerala. Everything was done transparently and in good faith,” Riyas said.

“This is not a government that facilitates espionage. The media must understand how government systems work. No one could have foreseen this.”

However, opposition parties were quick to respond. Both the Congress and the BJP criticised the state’s failure to conduct adequate background checks on the influencers invited under official programs. They demanded accountability for what they termed a “serious lapse in judgment” that could have had national security implications.

The ongoing investigation has triggered a wider debate on the intersection of tourism promotion and national security. Many are now calling for more rigorous vetting procedures for individuals participating in government-sponsored initiatives, especially those involving sensitive travel routes or infrastructure.

With Malhotra still in custody and the probe expanding, the Kerala government finds itself on the defensive, scrambling to contain the fallout from what is now being called one of the most embarrassing intelligence lapses linked to a state-sponsored tourism effort.

--IANS

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