Punjab, June 4: A Punjab-based YouTuber, identified as Jasbir Singh was held on Thursday for his close contact with YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan.
A Mohali court sent Singh to three-day police remand after he was produced before it.
Jasbir 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 said.
A resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, Singh has a YouTube channel with 1.1 million subscribers.
"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," Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X.
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 posted.
"Investigations revealed that Jasbir attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. He travelled to Pakistan thrice and his electronic devices contained multiple Pakistan-based numbers, now under detailed forensic scrutiny," the DGP added.
After Malhotra's arrest, Singh attempted to erase all traces of his communications with the PIOs to avoid detection, Yadav said.
A complaint was registered at the State Special Operation Cell in Mohali. "Investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators, he added.
