AI Deception YouTuber Image Falsely Linked To Aaj Tak

An image circulating online, appearing to be a news graphic from Aaj Tak, claims to show travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra wearing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cap and scarf. However, this graphic is not authentic. Investigations have revealed that the image of Malhotra is AI-generated, and Aaj Tak did not publish any such graphic.

The Spreading Misinformation

An AI-generated image showing Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra wearing a BJP cap and scarf is being falsely shared online, misrepresented as a news update from the Hindi media outlet Aaj Tak. Malhotra was recently arrested on accusations of spying for Pakistan.

BOOM subjected the image to various AI detection tools, all of which indicated a very high likelihood that the image was generated by artificial intelligence. Additionally, Aaj Tak's social media team confirmed to BOOM that they did not post or create any such graphic.

Background on Jyoti Malhotra

On May 16, 2025, Haryana Police arrested 33-year-old travel vlogger Jyoti Rani Malhotra for allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence agencies. This was reportedly part of an operation codenamed "Sindoor." According to police, Malhotra was detained after she was found sharing “sensitive information” with an official from the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. She is known for her YouTube channel 'Travel with Jo', which has over 3.77 lakh subscribers, and an Instagram account with more than 1.32 lakh followers.

How the Fake Graphic Went Viral

The fabricated news graphic has been shared on X (formerly Twitter) with Hindi captions. One such caption, when translated, reads, “Jyoti, you betray me… BJP is with you..! #JyotiMalhotraArrested.” The image prominently features the Aaj Tak logo in the top right corner, accompanied by Hindi text that translates to, “Haryana YouTuber arrested on charges of treason.”

You can view an example of the post here, and an archived version here.

Fact-Checking the Claim

BOOM's investigation confirmed that the photo in the viral graphic showing Jyoti Malhotra in BJP attire is AI-generated and was not published by Aaj Tak.

Aaj Tak Did Not Post the Image

We reviewed updates shared by Aaj Tak's social media handles concerning Malhotra's arrest but found no post matching the viral image. Furthermore, when contacted, Aaj Tak's social media team explicitly confirmed to BOOM that the viral graphic is fake and was not created or distributed by them.

AI Detection Tools Confirm Forgery

Taking these findings into account, the viral photo was analyzed using Hive's AI detection tool. The tool indicated a 100 per cent likelihood that the photo was AI-generated.

The image was also processed through another AI image detection tool, 'wasitai', which similarly showed an extremely high probability that the image was fabricated using artificial intelligence.

The claim that an Aaj Tak news graphic shows travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra wearing a BJP cap and scarf is false. The image is AI-generated and was not posted by the news channel.