In yet another alarming development, Punjab Police have arrested a popular YouTuber with over one million subscribers for alleged involvement in a Pakistan-backed espionage network. Jasbir Singh, who runs the widely followed channel ‘JaanMahal Video,’ was detained in Rupnagar by the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) following actionable intelligence.
According to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, Jasbir Singh was in contact with Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, an officer of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Investigations suggest Singh was part of a broader terror-backed network aimed at collecting and leaking sensitive information.
Singh had previously travelled to Pakistan three times and had attended the Pakistan National Day celebrations at the Pakistani Embassy in Delhi on the invitation of Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and expelled official from the Pakistan High Commission in India. His devices, now under forensic scrutiny, reportedly contain multiple Pakistan-based contacts.
Officials further revealed that Singh had close connections with Jyoti Malhotra, another YouTuber arrested last month for similar charges. After Malhotra’s arrest, Singh attempted to erase digital traces of his communications with Pakistani handlers to avoid detection.
This arrest comes just a day after Tarn Taran resident Gagandeep Singh was taken into custody for allegedly leaking information about Indian Army movements during Operation Sindoor. He was reportedly receiving payments from foreign intelligence operatives.
Jasbir Singh and Jyoti Malhotra are among a dozen individuals arrested recently in connection with espionage activities amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Malhotra, who ran the channel “Travel with Jo,” had visited Pakistan multiple times and was reportedly in touch with four Pakistani intelligence operatives. One WhatsApp chat recovered by investigators shows her allegedly asking an ISI handler to arrange her marriage in Pakistan. She now faces charges under the Official Secrets Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to national security.
Among the others facing espionage charges is Davendra Singh Dhillon, a 25-year-old student from Patiala’s Khalsa College. He was arrested in Haryana after uploading firearm images online, which led to an inquiry that revealed his links with ISI agents. He is accused of sharing photographs of the Patiala military cantonment with Pakistan-based handlers.
Another accused, Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old security guard in Haryana, was found to be communicating with ISI operatives and receiving funds via his brother-in-law’s account.
With several individuals under the scanner, security agencies including the Intelligence Bureau, Military Intelligence, and the National Investigation Agency continue to coordinate efforts to neutralize foreign espionage threats aimed at destabilizing India from within.
