Chandigarh, Jun 7: Haryana Police had summoned Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh on June 6 in the Jyoti Malhotra espionage case but before he could join the investigation, he was arrested by Punjab Police, Singh’s counsel claimed on Saturday.
He also denied the charge that Singh was an agent of Pakistan’s spy agency ISI.
A Mohali court on Saturday extended for two days the police remand of 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.
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 allegedly in close touch with Haryana-based influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan.
After Singh’s arrest, Punjab police had claimed that it unearthed a “terror-backed espionage network” linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials.
Police had said that the YouTuber was allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Singh’s counsel Mohit Dhupar said he met him in the court on Saturday.
“We spoke to him. There is no such thing that is being said in the media that he was an ISI agent,” said Dhupar, claiming he was just a vlogger.
Dhupar said Singh was summoned by Punjab Police from May 17 till May 30.
He had already given his mobile phone and laptop to the police, said the counsel.
Dhupar said on June 2, Hisar police summoned Singh to join the investigation in the Jyoti Malhotra case on June 6.
When Punjab Police came to know about him being summoned by the Haryana police, Singh was asked to appear on June 3 and he was arrested on June 4, said the counsel.
“Punjab Police might have felt that if Haryana Police arrested Singh, it would be their insult”, claimed Dhupar.
The counsel said there was no mention of Singh being summoned from May 17 to May 30 in the FIR.
Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a YouTube channel ‘Travel with JO’ was arrested last month.
To a question on Punjab Police claiming that 150 Pakistani contacts were retrieved from his phone, Dhupar said there was no such thing.
“Many people visited Pakistan multiple times. Did they become guilty (of doing wrong) by visiting the neighbouring nation,” he said while replying to a question.
On Pakistani YouTuber Nasir Dhillon’s alleged link to a spy network, Dhupar said the police did not take Dhillon’s name in the court while seeking Singh’s remand.
Nasir Dhillon, a former Pakistani police official, runs a YouTube channel ‘Punjabi Lehar’. He has claimed to unite families divided during partition in 1947. His role is reportedly under investigation for possible links to the espionage network unearthed by Indian authorities.
Asked whether Singh gave his laptop to Pakistani official Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, Dhupar denied it and said when Singh visited Pakistan, his laptop was examined for a routine security check.
On May 13, India expelled Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage.
Jasbir Singh was allegedly found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). He 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 said.
He was allegedly in close contact with Jyoti Malhotra who was earlier arrested by Haryana Police on espionage charges.
Singh was found to be associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa.
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 said.
Investigations revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish’s invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers.
After Jyoti Malhotra’s arrest, accused Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, police had said.
The police had alleged that Singh was in touch with many Pakistan-based entities including ISI agents and had been providing sensitive information about the movement of the Indian Army and other inside activities of the country to Pakistan.(PTI)
