New Delhi, July 7 -- Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel vlogger from Haryana arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan, was previously sponsored by the Kerala Tourism Department as part of its influencer outreach programme, a newly surfaced RTI response has confirmed.

Operating the YouTube channel Travel with Jo, Malhotra was among a curated group of digital influencers invited by the state between 2024 and 2025 to promote Kerala. Her travel, stay, and content creation were fully funded by the government under its digital tourism push.

During the campaign, she visited tourist hubs like Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar, creating content that included a viral video of her attending a Theyyam performance in traditional Ke...