Kolkata, Aug 2 (NationPress) Authorities from the Kolkata Police are currently investigating whether Santa Paul, a Bangladeshi model detained in Kolkata earlier this week for illegally residing in the country using counterfeit Indian identity documents, may have been involved in espionage activities similar to those of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra.

The investigation was initiated after officials discovered that Paul had posted a video on her social media account taken near the India-Nepal-China border.

Further inquiries revealed that Paul created a social media page named 'Asan Travels Kolkata and Bangladesh', where she promoted her tourism venture.

Officials are also looking into the possibility that Paul secured a loan from a government-owned bank in India to establish a hotel, as suggested by her Facebook updates.

A source within the police department indicated that Paul had traveled to various locations in West Bengal and neighboring Sikkim.

"She shared images and videos of her travels on social media. Acting as a travel vlogger, she visited Nathu La in Sikkim, where she captured visuals of the India-Nepal-China border. The investigation is ongoing to determine if there are parallels between her case and that of Jyoti Malhotra, who also traveled extensively as a travel vlogger, documenting her experiences," the source stated.

Jyoti Malhotra, known for her YouTube channel 'Travel with JO', was arrested in May under the Official Secrets Act amidst the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.

She faced allegations of espionage, having reportedly shared sensitive information with operatives from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Investigations revealed that she would take travel-related photographs and videos and smuggle them to Pakistan.

The Kolkata Police is now working to ascertain if Santa Paul operated in a similar fashion to Malhotra.

Last Monday, officers from the Park Street police station apprehended Paul at a flat in the Golf Green area of south Kolkata.

Suspicion arose when police examined the documents she submitted during her passport application.

During the arrest, numerous Bangladeshi documents were retrieved from her flat.

It has been confirmed that Paul, who is a model by profession, entered India with a legitimate visa.

However, instead of leaving before her visa expired, she managed to forge Indian documents such as an AADHAAR card and Voter ID for herself during this time.

Following the acquisition of these fake identity documents, she began residing in Kolkata permanently and earning a significant income through modeling and acting roles, according to city police officials.

Reports suggest that she appeared in supporting roles in several Bengali and Tamil films over the past few years.

Additionally, she purchased property on the southern outskirts of Kolkata, co-owned with her live-in partner, an official from the Merchant Navy residing in Andhra Pradesh.

Police are now examining whether Paul leveraged her presence in the glamour industry to establish influential connections in West Bengal and other states, enabling her to operate in the entertainment sector without raising suspicion.

It is also noted that she was quite successful in Bangladesh as a model and had received several accolades.

Previously, she worked as a staff member for Regent Airways based in Bangladesh.