YouTuber Jasbir Singh arrested for spying, tried to delete traces after Jyoti Malhotra’s arrest

Another YouTuber has been arrested from Punjab for being part of a Pakistan-backed espionage network. The Punjab Police has arrested YouTuber Jasbir Singh, who runs the channel ‘Jaan Mahal’. 

Singh’s YouTube channel has 1.1 million subscribers. He is a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district. The YouTuber was taken into custody by the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, based on actionable intelligence.

Jasbir Singh is the second digital content creator to be arrested in recent weeks, following Haryana-based Jyoti Malhotra, with whom he was also in regular contact. According to Punjab Police, Singh was closely linked to Pakistani intelligence officer Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, a person of Indian origin suspected to be operating for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). 

Singh also maintained ties with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and former official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi who was previously expelled on espionage charges.

Officials said Singh attended the Pakistan National Day celebration at the Pakistani Embassy in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he interacted with Pakistani Army personnel and vloggers. He has travelled to Pakistan three times—in 2020, 2021, and 2024. Forensic analysis of his electronic devices revealed several Pakistan-based contact numbers, now under investigation, officials said.

Following Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, Singh allegedly attempted to delete all traces of communication with ISI-linked operatives. Police say they are working to expose the full extent of the espionage-terror network and identify all individuals involved.

"Jasbir Singh, who operates a YouTube channel called 'Jaan Mahal', has been found associated with PIO Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, part of a terror-backed espionage network. He also maintained close contact with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra (arrested for spying) and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and expelled Pak High Commission official," Punjab Police said in a post on X.

"Investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators," it added.

So far, Punjab Police has arrested seven persons for allegedly spying for Pakistan. Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih were arrested from Ajnala in Amritsar, and 31-year-old woman Guzala and Yameen Mohamad, both residents of Malerkotla, were also taken into custody last month. Two more persons – Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh – were later arrested by police from Gurdaspur for sharing sensitive military information with the ISI.