Punjab YouTuber arrested for spying for Pakistan, links with Jyoti Malhotra
Punjab Police on Wednesday unearthed an espionage network with the arrest of Jasbir Singh, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district having links with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistan high commission official who was expelled on May 13.
A Mohali court sent the accused to three-day police remand after he was produced before it.
'Acting swiftly on actionable intelligence, the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, unearthed a critical espionage network,' Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said.
Jasbir, who operates a YouTube channel called 'Jaan Mahal' with 11 lakh subscribers, was found to be associated with Pakistan intelligence officer Shakir, alias Jutt Randhawa, a part of a terror-backed espionage network.
He was also in touch with Jyoti Malhotra, 33, who ran a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO' and was arrested in Hisar last month.
Investigations have revealed that Jasbir attended the Pakistan National Day event in #Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani army officials and vloggers.
The AIG counter-intelligence Ravjot Grewal said the accused Jasbir was introduced to Jyoti Malhotra through Pakistan embassy officials at an event hosted by the Pakistan embassy in 2024.
'Both Jasbir and Jyoti also visited Pakistan together. Further investigation is in progress to identify potential accomplices, digital communication trails, and foreign linkages', she added.
He travelled to Pakistan in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and his electronic devices contained multiple Pakistan-based numbers, now under forensic scrutiny.
After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, Jasbir attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection.
The DGP said around 150 Pakistan contacts have been retrieved from the initial mobile phone forensics of the arrested accused, including mobile numbers of Pakistan ISI agents, Pakistan high commission officials and other Pak-based entities.
The AIG said that police teams have received reliable input about Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal in touch with many Pakistan-based entities including agents of the Pakistan intelligence agency, ISI, and was providing sensitive information about the movement of Indian Army and other inside activities of the country to Pakistan.
The accused had visited various countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, in the past five years.
Jasbir's latest post was an inconspicuous video uploaded on Tuesday about a gate being built at his under-construction house.
He has deleted all videos about his visits to Pakistan.
An FIR under section 152 (Threatening India's sovereignty, Unity Integrity) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act at Police Station SSOC SAS Nagar.
'Investigation is underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators,' the DGP said.
On Tuesday, Punjab Police arrested Gagandeep Singh, alias Gagan of Rodupur Mohalla, Gali Nazar Singh Wali in Tarn Taran, for sharing sensitive information with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistan-based Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla.
Jasbir's arrest takes the number of arrests for spying to nine in the border state. The action on spy networks within the country comes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead and the four-day military conflict with Pakistan that followed under Operation Sindoor from May 7 to 10.
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