Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old YouTuber from Haryana who was recently arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, had previously visited Kerala on an official invitation from the state government, according to an RTI (Right to Information) reply that has now surfaced.

Malhotra was part of a tourism promotion campaign run by the Kerala Tourism Department, which sponsored a group of social media influencers to boost the state's digital presence as a travel destination. As per the RTI response, Malhotra's travel, stay, and itinerary expenses were fully covered by the department during her visit.

As per official records, Jyoti Malhotra toured Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar between 2024 and 2025 under the government's influencer collaboration initiative. Her participation was listed alongside several other digital creators active between January 2024 and May 2025.