Early Times Report
Jammu, June 4: Three weeks after arrested famous Haryana-based vlogger Jyoti Malhotra on the charges of espionage for Pakistan, another known YouTuber from Punjab on the charges of spying.
On Wednesday, Punjab Police apprehended Jasbir Singh, a YouTuber from Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, on charges of espionage for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This arrest follows the recent detention of Haryana-based vlogger Jyoti Malhotra on similar charges.
Jasbir Singh, who runs the YouTube channel “Jaan Mahal,” is accused of operating an espionage network in India on behalf of the ISI. Investigations link him to Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) and key figure in a terror-backed espionage network. Singh was also in contact with Jyoti Malhotra and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a former Pakistani High Commission official expelled from India.
Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, announced on social media, “Based on actionable intelligence, the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, has uncovered a significant espionage network involving Jasbir Singh from Mahlan village, Rupnagar.”
Investigations revealed that Singh attended Pakistan’s National Day event in Delhi at Ehsan-ur-Rahim’s invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. He reportedly traveled to Pakistan three times—in 2020, 2021, and 2024. Forensic analysis of his electronic devices uncovered multiple Pakistan-based contacts, which are now under scrutiny.
Following Malhotra’s arrest, Singh allegedly attempted to erase communications with PIOs to evade detection. An FIR has been filed against him at SSOC, Mohali, with ongoing efforts to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify accomplices.
As reported earlier, on May 16, Haryana Police arrested Jyoti Malhotra, known for her YouTube channel “Travel with Joe” with over 377,000 subscribers, on espionage charges. Malhotra allegedly shared sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. She is currently under interrogation by Haryana Police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Military Intelligence.
Malhotra reportedly visited Pakistan in 2023, obtaining a visa through agents. During her visit, she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim, who allegedly connected her with ISI operatives, including Shakir alias Rana Shahbaz. To avoid suspicion, she saved their contacts under aliases like “Jat Randhawa” and communicated via encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, allegedly following their directives. |
