E-Paper
YouTuber Jasbir Singh’s police remand extended by two days in spying case
Jasbir was in touch with influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan, and after his arrest on June 4, the police said he was part of a terror-backed espionage network linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials.
A Mohali court on Saturday extended for two days the police remand of Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh, who was arrested on espionage charges on June 4.
Jasbir Singh was produced before the court after his three-day police remand ended on Saturday. Police sought a seven-day remand but the court granted them two days, his counsel said.
Jasbir Singh was in touch with influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan, and after his arrest the police had said that it had unearthed a terror-backed espionage network linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials.
The police had said that the YouTuber was allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Jasbir Singh, alias Jaan Mahal, 41, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, was running a YouTube channel JaanMahal Video with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs.
He was found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), was in contact with a Pakistan High Commission official who was recently expelled from New Delhi on charges of spying and had met Pakistan army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, police had earlier alleged.
He was found to be associated with PIO Shakir, alias Jatt Randhawa, part of a terror-backed espionage network.
The accused had also travelled to Pakistan in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, the police had said.
Hisar native Jyoti Malhotra, 33, who was running the YouTube channel, Travel with JO, was arrested last month.
On May 13, India had expelled Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage. Malhotra was allegedly in touch with Danish since November 2023.
