In a major blow to a suspected Pakistan-backed espionage ring, Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested Jasbir Singh, a prominent YouTuber with over 1.1 million subscribers on his channel Jaan Mahal, for allegedly working in close coordination with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Singh, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, was arrested by the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, following credible intelligence inputs. His arrest follows that of Haryana-based Jyoti Malhotra, another digital content creator previously arrested for alleged spying.
Punjab Police stated that Singh was in regular contact with Pakistani intelligence officer Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, suspected to be an ISI operative of Indian origin. Singh also maintained relations with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and former official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi who was expelled on charges of espionage.
Officials said Singh had attended Pakistan's National Day celebrations at the embassy in Delhi at Danish's invitation, where he allegedly interacted with Pakistani Army personnel and vloggers. He also visited Pakistan three times — in 2020, 2021, and 2024 — raising suspicions about his role and activities.
Forensic investigation of Singh's digital devices uncovered numerous Pakistan-based contact numbers, now under scrutiny. After Malhotra’s arrest, Singh allegedly tried to wipe out all digital traces of his communications with ISI-linked handlers.
In a post on X, Punjab Police said: “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.”
“Investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators,” the police added.
Jasbir Singh’s arrest takes the total number of people held in the alleged espionage-terror network to seven, including Falaksher Masih, Suraj Masih, Guzala, Yameen Mohamad, Sukhpreet Singh, and Karanbir Singh, all accused of spying for Pakistan’s ISI.
