Spy Scandal Exposes Lapses in Kerala Government’s Influencer Vetting: Was Vlogger Jyoti Malhotra Given a Free Pass?
The arrest of Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel vlogger from Sirsa, Haryana, on espionage charges has triggered a political and public storm, especially after official documents revealed her association with the Kerala government’s tourism influencer campaign.
The revelations have raised serious questions about the state government’s due diligence, or lack thereof, in screening individuals invited under state-sponsored programmes.
Malhotra, who is currently in judicial custody and faces charges under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, was one of 41 social media influencers hosted and funded by the Kerala Tourism Department as part of its digital outreach programme between January 2024 and May 2025.
The programme aimed to promote Kerala as a global travel destination through influencer-led content creation, but the inclusion of a now-accused spy has cast a long shadow over the entire initiative.
According to a Right to Information (RTI) response cited by ANI, Malhotra’s entire trip to Kerala was sponsored by the government, including her travel, accommodation, meals, and even the hiring of a private production agency to assist her in creating content.
During her visit, she travelled to Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar, shooting vlogs on cultural events such as Theyyam performances, and sharing picturesque visuals on her YouTube channel Travel with Jo.
In a statement to India Today, Kerala Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammad Riyas defended the government’s decision to host Malhotra, stating, “We had no clue about any such connections when she was invited. It has all come out only now.”
He insisted that the process of selecting influencers was standardised and procedural, distancing the government and ministers from any direct involvement in background verification.
But with serious espionage allegations now emerging—including reported trips to Pakistan, documented contacts with Pakistani intelligence officials, and footage from sensitive Indian military zones—questions are being raised about how someone with such a profile slipped through the cracks.
Authorities say Malhotra had been in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member of the Pakistan High Commission, since November 2023. Danish was expelled by India on May 13 for suspected espionage links. Just three days later, Malhotra was arrested in Hisar, Haryana.
A viral video showing Malhotra shopping in Lahore, flanked by men armed with AK-47s, has further deepened concerns about the nature of her affiliations. Investigators suggest she had been groomed by Pakistani intelligence as an asset, with her blogging activities providing the perfect cover.
Her digital content allegedly includes footage from strategically sensitive areas in West Bengal, including Barrackpore, Siliguri, and key railway junctions like Sealdah, Howrah, and Dum Dum.
She is also said to have filmed in border areas such as Gede in Nadia and travelled through the Chicken’s Neck corridor, a critical military zone connecting India to its northeastern states.
Given these revelations, critics argue that Kerala’s influencer outreach programme lacked even basic national security safeguards. The fact that Malhotra was not just hosted but also paid an honorarium raises even more eyebrows.
Should the Kerala government have conducted stricter vetting procedures before extending state sponsorship to a social media influencer?
Opposition parties have seized upon the issue. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, in a post on X, lashed out: “RTI reveals Pakistani spy Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on Left government invite & was a state guest courtesy Tourism Dept.
Bharat Mata is blocked, Pak spies are given a red carpet by the Left? Minister Riyas should be sacked and investigated.”
The Congress too has criticised the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for its apparent oversight and failure to properly scrutinise participants in government-funded promotional campaigns.
While Minister Riyas has dismissed the accusations of complicity, stating that the Tourism Department followed long-established protocols, the incident has sparked a larger debate on national security versus promotional outreach.
