Punjab Police Detains YouTuber for Alleged Links to Pakistani Espionage

YouTuber Arrested for Espionage Allegations

On Tuesday, the Punjab Police apprehended YouTuber Jasbir Singh, suspecting him of involvement in a Pakistani espionage network.

Hailing from Mahlan village in Punjab’s Rupnagar district, Singh operates a YouTube channel called “JaanMahal Video,” which boasts over a million subscribers.

According to Gaurav Yadav, the state's director general of police, Singh is believed to have connections with Shakir, also known as Jutt Randhawa, a Pakistani intelligence operative linked to a 'terror-backed espionage network.'

Yadav further indicated that Singh maintained close ties with another YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra, based in Haryana, who was arrested on May 17 for similar espionage allegations.

Singh reportedly communicated with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a Pakistani official at the High Commission in New Delhi.

Danish was declared persona non-grata by New Delhi on May 13 and was instructed to leave India. This designation means that the official is unwelcome in the host country.

Yadav stated, “Investigations have shown that Jasbir attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi at Danish’s invitation, where he interacted with Pakistani Army officials and vloggers.”

The police chief noted that Singh had traveled to Pakistan in 2020, 2021, and 2024, and that his electronic devices contained numerous contact numbers linked to Pakistan, which are currently undergoing forensic analysis.

Following Malhotra's arrest, Singh allegedly tried to erase evidence of his communications with Pakistani intelligence to evade detection, according to police reports.

A first information report has been filed regarding this case. Yadav mentioned, “Investigations are ongoing to dismantle the larger espionage-terror network and identify all accomplices.”

On the same day, Rajasthan Police announced the arrest of Shakur Khan, a state government employee previously detained on suspicion of spying for Pakistan. He had maintained regular contact with individuals associated with the Pakistani High Commission, including Danish.

These arrests occur amid rising military tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, which intensified on May 7 when the Indian military executed strikes, dubbed Operation Sindoor, targeting what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

These military actions were a response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that resulted in 26 fatalities on April 22.

In recent weeks, at least 16 individuals have been arrested nationwide on charges of espionage for Pakistan and leaking sensitive information related to Operation Sindoor.

On Saturday, the National Investigation Agency conducted raids at 15 locations across eight states believed to be connected to alleged Pakistani intelligence operatives.