Punjab’s famous YouTuber Jasbir Singh (Jaan Mahal) arrested on charges of espionage, according to investigating officers, Singh has links with PIO
Jasbir Singh, a YouTuber from Punjab who runs the channel “Jaan Mahal” with over 1.1 million subscribers, was arrested on June 4, 2025, in Mohali by the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police for his alleged involvement in a Pakistan-backed espionage network. The arrest comes after Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, with whom Singh is alleged to have close contacts, was also detained on similar espionage-related charges.
Singh is accused of being associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jatt Randhawa and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and an officer of the Pakistan High Commission expelled from India. The investigation revealed that Singh had attended a Pakistan National Day event in Delhi at Danish’s invitation, where he met Pakistani army officers and vloggers. He had allegedly travelled to Pakistan three times (2020, 2021, and 2024), and forensic examination of his devices revealed communications with several Pakistan-based phone numbers.
After Malhotra’s arrest, Singh allegedly tried to erase digital traces of his communications with these operators to avoid detection.Punjab police claim that Singh was providing sensitive information about the activities of the Indian Army and other internal activities to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
A court in Mohali has sent him to three days of police custody, with an investigation underway to dismantle the wider espionage-terror network. Singh’s lawyer, Madhav Shukla, has questioned the credibility of the police investigation, claiming a lack of solid evidence and saying that Singh’s bank statements, financial records and phone data have been handed over to the authorities.
The case is part of a wider operation that has seen the arrest of 14 alleged spies in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in recent weeks, linked to a suspected Pakistan-backed espionage network. Investigations are ongoing to identify other associates.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav issued a statement regarding the arrest of Jasbir Singh, who operates the YouTube channel “Jaan Mahal,” on June 4, 2025. In a post on X, Yadav stated:
“Acting swiftly on actionable intelligence, State Special Operations Cell (#SSOC), Mohali has unearthed a critical espionage network linked to Jasbir Singh, a resident of Village Mahlan, #Rupnagar. Jasbir Singh, who operates a #YouTube channel called ‘Jaan Mahal,’ has been found associated with PIO Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, part of a terror-backed espionage network. He also maintained contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national who was expelled as an official of the Pakistan High Commission.
“Yadav further noted that investigations revealed Singh attended a Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish’s invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. Singh traveled to Pakistan three times (2020, 2021, and 2024), and his electronic devices contained multiple Pakistan-based numbers, which are under forensic scrutiny.
Following the arrest of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, Singh attempted to erase digital traces of his communications with these operatives to avoid detection. An FIR has been registered at SSOC Mohali, and investigations are ongoing to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators.