Punjab YouTuber in contact with influencer Jyoti Malhotra held, police says part of spy network with Pakistan links

Jasbir Singh, a resident of Village Mahlan in Rupnagar district, who operates a YouTube channel 'Jaan Mahal', was found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.

Chandigarh: A Punjab-based YouTuber alleged to be in close touch with influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan, has been arrested after a "terror-backed espionage network" linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials was unearthed, police said on Wednesday.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal (41) was allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Singh, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar, was running the YouTube channel "JaanMahal Video" with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs, said police.

He was found to be associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, who was in contact with a recently-expelled Pakistan High Commission official on charges of spying and had met Pakistan Army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, Yadav said.

Singh was allegedly in close contact with Malhotra, who was earlier arrested by Haryana Police on espionage charges.

A Mohali court sent Singh to three-day police remand after he was produced before it.

Singh also maintained close contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, the expelled Pakistan High Commission official, said Yadav.

Investigation found that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers.

He had also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, Yadav said.

The DGP said after Malhotra's arrest, Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communication with these PIOs to avoid detection.

Further investigation is underway to find the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators, he added.

Sharing operation details, Assistant Inspector General of Police Ravjot Grewal said police teams have received reliable input about Singh being in touch with many Pakistan based entities including agents of ISI and has been providing sensitive information about movement of Indian Army and other inside activities of the country to Pakistan.

Teams of State Special Operation Cell, SAS Nagar, launched an intel-based operation and arrested the suspect and recovered his mobile device, she said.

She said around 150 Pakistan contacts have been retrieved from the initial mobile phone forensics of the arrested and those included numbers of Pakistan ISI agents, Pakistan High Commission officials and other Pakistan based entities.

In a bid to cover his tracks, the accused deleted crucial digital evidence, including chats, contact records, and documents exchanged with Pakistani intelligence handlers from his mobile phone, said Grewal, adding that technical recovery and forensic examination are underway to retrieve deleted data and information leaked through him.

She said investigations have found that Singh used this platform as a cover to share sensitive information about Indian Army movements and activities with Pakistani handlers.

She said Singh got introduced to Malhotra through Pakistan embassy officials at an event hosted by Pakistan embassy in 2024.

Both Singh and Jyoti also visited Pakistan together.

An FIR has been registered at the State Special Operation Cell under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Official Secrets Act in Mohali.

Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO' was arrested last month.

On Tuesday, a man hailing from Tarn Taran district was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information related to the Army's movements during Operation Sindoor with PIOs. He was also allegedly in contact with Pakistan-based pro Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla.

Last month, police arrested six persons for allegedly spying for Pakistan.

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.