Punjab YouTuber Jasbir Singh arrested over ‘spying’ for Pakistan, has links with Jyoti Malhotra

Punjab Police has discovered a significant spy network with alleged connections to terror groups and Pakistan-based operators, arresting YouTuber Jasbir Singh from Rupnagar. Based on intelligence, the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) in Mohali has initiated a comprehensive inquiry into the actions of Jasbir Singh, who runs a YouTube channel named “Jaan Mahal.”

Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, saying, “Acting swiftly on actionable intelligence, SSOC Mohali has unearthed a critical espionage network linked to Jasbir Singh, a resident of Village Mahlan, Rupnagar.”

“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. He travelled to Pakistan on three occasions (2020, 2021, 2024), and his electronic devices contained multiple Pakistan-based numbers, now under detailed forensic scrutiny,” the Punjab top cop posted.

Jyoti Malhotra was one of the 12 individuals detained in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh over the last three weeks on allegations of espionage, with authorities suspecting a spy network linked to Pakistan functioning in northern India.

The Hisar native ran a YouTube channel –  “Travel with JO”. She was arrested at the New Aggarsain Extension recently and booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Hisar police stated that no proof had surfaced suggesting Jyoti Malhotra had access to any military or defense-related information. However, she was certainly in communication with certain individuals, aware that they were agents of Pakistani intelligence, they remarked.

Police sources stated she had been communicating with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, an employee at the Pakistani high commission, since November 2023. India expelled Danish on May 13 for reportedly engaging in spying activities.

Malhotra has also been interrogated by officials from the National Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau, and military intelligence. Inquiries have shown that she traveled to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and a few additional nations. They claimed she was also reportedly in contact with Danish during the four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan that ensued after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.