'Spy' YouTuber Jasbir Singh visited Pak thrice, received police protection

An old video of Jasbir Singh, the YouTuber arrested for alleged espionage, has surfaced showing him praising Pakistani police during his visit to the neighbouring country. Singh, who runs the popular YouTube channel 'Jaan Mahal', which has over 1.1 million subscribers, was arrested in Punjab on Wednesday.

Jasbir was provided high-level security by Pakistani police and intelligence agencies during his visits - something not usually extended to regular vloggers.

The 41-year-old from Punjab's Rupnagar district travelled to Pakistan three times - in 2020, 2021, and 2024 - and was escorted by armed personnel, similar to the treatment given to fellow YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was also arrested earlier for spying.

Indian authorities believe Jasbir, like Jyoti, was working for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

According to Punjab Police, Jasbir was in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish - an ISI handler who worked at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Danish had also "trapped" Jyoti and was developing her as an intelligence asset.

Danish, however, was expelled by India last month amid tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 people dead.

In another video, Jasbir was spotted conversing with Pakistani army personnel during a Pakistan National Day event at the embassy. He attended the event at Danish's invitation.

His digital devices are currently under forensic examination. Investigators claimed to have found 150 Pakistani contacts on his phone, many of whom were Pakistani intelligence operatives.

After Jyoti's arrest, Jasbir allegedly deleted several files from his phone, which authorities are now trying to retrieve.

"After Jyoti Malhotra’s arrest, Jasbir attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection," Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav confirmed earlier today.

The Punjab Police are also probing suspicious financial transactions of Jasbir. Like Jyoti, he reportedly shared a close relationship with Danish and maintained regular contact with Pakistan-based handlers.

Jasbir identified himself as a travel and food vlogger, frequently posting content from countries like Malaysia and the Maldives. His Instagram handle, 'jaanmahal_video', has nearly 42,000 followers. His last post, made just two days ago, featured his son celebrating Punjab Kings' win in the IPL semifinal.

The arrest comes as part of a broader crackdown on the Pakistani spy network operating in India.