YouTuber Jasbir Singh arrested in Mohali on espionage charges

As he was being escorted into court, Singh briefly spoke to reporters, saying, “Truth will prevail”.

According to the police, Singh is associated with Pakistani intelligence operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, who is part of a terror-backed espionage network. Singh allegedly also maintained close contact with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on charges of spying, and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an expelled Pakistani High Commission official.

Investigations have revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish’s invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers, the police said. 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 police added.

After Malhotra’s arrest, Singh allegedly attempted to erase all traces of his communications with PIOs to avoid detection.

An FIR has been registered at SSOC, Mohali. According to the police, Singh has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and Section 152 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all the collaborators, the police added.

An FIR has been registered at SSOC, Mohali, and investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all the collaborators, the police said.

Singh’s arrest follows the arrest of Malhotra, who was taken into custody after she was allegedly found sharing “sensitive information” with Danish. Malhotra has a YouTube channel called ‘Travel with Jo’ and allegedly visited Pakistan multiple times, according to the police.