Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was hired by Kerala Tourism, reveals RTI

Malhotra, known for her YouTube transmission Travel with Jo, was selected from a radical of societal media influencers invited by the Kerala authorities betwixt 2024 and 2025 to beforehand the authorities arsenic a planetary question destination

One of her notable videos featured her wearing a accepted Kerala sari portion attending a Theyyam ritual successful Kannur.

Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old question vlogger from Haryana, who was precocious arrested connected charges of spying for Pakistan, had antecedently been engaged by the Kerala Tourism Department arsenic portion of its authoritative integer influencer campaign, an RTI effect has revealed.

Malhotra, known for her YouTube transmission Travel with Jo, was selected from a radical of societal media influencers invited by the Kerala authorities betwixt 2024 and 2025 to beforehand the authorities arsenic a planetary question destination.

The authorities funded her travel, accommodation, and itinerary expenses nether its influencer collaboration inaugural aimed astatine enhancing Kerala’s tourism visibility online.

During this period, Malhotra visited salient locations specified arsenic Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar, creating contented that attracted a ample audience.

One of her notable videos featured her wearing a accepted Kerala sari portion attending a Theyyam ritual successful Kannur.

However, her caller apprehension has formed a shadiness implicit the programme, with Indian quality agencies investigating allegations that Malhotra had made aggregate trips to Pakistan and maintained interaction with Pakistani quality operatives, including officials astatine the Pakistan High Commission successful India.

Following these revelations, 1 Pakistani authoritative was reportedly expelled.

Malhotra’s detention is portion of a wider crackdown involving 12 suspects crossed Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, accused of forming an espionage web utilizing integer platforms and influencer networks to stitchery intelligence.