BJP claims Pinarayi Vijayan's son-in-law sponsored Jyoti Malhotra's Kerala trip

BJP leader and former Kerala state president K. Surendran on Saturady alleged that YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, recently arrested for espionage for Pakistan, was hosted by the Kerala Tourism Department under a state-sponsored program during her visit to Kannur. The department is headed by Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Surendran took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), questioning the purpose behind Malhotra’s Kerala trip.

“Pak-Spy Jyoti Malhotra’s Kannur trip was sponsored by Kerala Tourism, run by none other than Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law. Who did she meet? Where did she go? What’s the real agenda? Why is Kerala rolling out red carpets for a Pak-linked spy?” Surendran said in a post on X.

The post comes weeks after Malhotra, a resident of Hisar and creator of the ‘Travel with JO’ YouTube channel, was arrested under Operation Sindoor, a coordinated crackdown across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh targeting an alleged ISI-backed spy network.

She faces charges under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators revealed that Malhotra maintained direct contact with Pakistan’s ISI, allegedly passed sensitive data, and had multiple interactions at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.

She also reportedly made two trips to Pakistan, and one surfaced video shows her in Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar under armed escort. She was remanded to 14-day judicial custody on 26 May 2025.

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