Jyoti Rani Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Haryana recently arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan, had visited Barrackpore, Siliguri, and other strategically sensitive zones in West Bengal—home to key military and air force installations and captured various key areas of the state on her blog, leading to investigators probing her travels across the state.
Her multiple visits to the state were documented through numerous pictures and videos on her travel blog, confirmed sources.
Her blog featured images from key railway junctions such as Sealdah, Howrah, and Dum Dum stations, as well as the international border at Gede border in Nadia.
Her content includes photos of the Baranagar Metro station and Dakshineswar Temple, as well as the Coronation Bridge on Sevak Road, which she visited en route to Bhutan.
Jyoti clicked familiar snapshots of Kolkata's yellow taxis, railway stations, and infrastructure like Kankurgachi Bridge, Bali Bridge, and Damodar Bridge.
She is said to have visited Kolkata at least three times, arriving by train.
Her last visit occurred around three months ago— a month before she allegedly travelled to Pakistan.
Beyond Kolkata, her journeys spanned north Bengal, Nadia, and the Chicken’s Neck.
Also known as the Siliguri corridor, the Chicken’s Neck connects eight Indian states to India. It falls between Nepal and Bangladesh and is a few hundred miles away from Bhutan and China.
She also visited Jaigaon and the Coronation Bridge, areas of significance given their proximity to the international boundary.
Malhotra’s travel companion during her time in Kolkata was Bengali vlogger Soumit Bhattacharya, according to reports.
Soumit had met Jyoti at the Ram temple inauguration event in Ayodhya in January 2024, where he was filming for a vlog.
Jyoti contacted him after reaching Kolkata.
The two went to ‘Dada Boudi Biryani’, a popular restaurant in Barrackpore, where they dined together.
Soumit met her at Sealdah station and accompanied her to Barrackpore, from where they took a launch to Sheoraphuli Ghat and then a train to Lilua to attend the wedding of another travel vlogger named Mohit.
Jyoti posted a vlog of the wedding where she was seen dancing with the newlyweds.
Authorities are probing her connections to the family that invited her.
In a telephonic conversation with TV9 Bangla, Soumit, currently in the Andamans, said he was unaware of Jyoti’s alleged links with Pakistan.
“Had I known about any such connection, I would never have allowed her entry into Kolkata,” he stated.
According to ETV Bharat’s report, the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police, along with district police and central agencies, is now tracing Jyoti’s movements across the state.
Officers confirmed they are in regular contact with Haryana Police, who are leading the primary investigation.
According to preliminary findings, Jyoti captured videos of densely populated areas of Kolkata and documented a train ride from Sealdah station.
Investigators have found that Jyoti flew from Delhi to Bagdogra a few months ago, staying at a hotel in Siliguri while claiming to be en route to Bhutan.
Siliguri, along with Barrackpore and Kolkata, is of strategic importance.
The city houses two Indian Air Force stations—Bagdogra and Hasimara—as well as the 33 Corps headquarters at Sukna, which oversees three mountain divisions.
Barrackpore is home to one of the oldest IAF bases and multiple state police and Army establishments. Kolkata is the headquarters of the Eastern Command.
Jyoti’s arrest follows confirmation of her visit to Pakistan in 2023 and alleged contact with ISI agents. The investigation into whether she was smuggling sensitive information out of India under the guise of travel blogging remains ongoing.