Punjab YouTuber's police remand extended by 2 days in espionage case

Chandigarh: 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.

Singh was produced before the court after his three-day police remand ended on Saturday. Police sought a seven-day remand of Singh but the court granted them two days, said his counsel.

Singh was allegedly in close touch with influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan, and after his arrest the police had claimed that it 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 village Mahlan in Rupnagar district, was running a YouTube channel "JaanMahal Video" with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs.

Singh 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.

Singh was found to be associated with PIO Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, part of a terror-backed espionage network.

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

Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a 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.