What began as cooking and travel content for over a million subscribers has now exploded into one of the most alarming espionage crackdowns in recent memory. Jasbir Singh, a Punjab-based YouTuber behind the popular JaanMahal Video channel, is at the center of a widening probe into a suspected ISI-backed intelligence ring using Indian civilians and social media influencers.
Arrested on June 4 under charges of spying, Singh was found with over 150 Pakistani contacts saved on his phone, had visited Pakistan six times, and admitted to handing over his laptop to a Pakistani intelligence officer for an hour — a move investigators believe could have compromised sensitive data.
Singh also confessed to being in direct touch with ISI operative Danish, who worked under diplomatic cover as a visa officer at the Pakistani embassy in New Delhi. Danish, whose real name is Ehsan-ur-Rehman, was expelled from India after his involvement surfaced in a parallel probe involving another accused YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra.
Police say Singh was introduced to Danish by a female acquaintance and later supplied him with multiple SIM cards.
The probe has also revealed Singh’s previous association with Pakistan intelligence operative Shakir, alias Jutt Randhawa, and that he met several ISI officers during visits to Lahore in 2020, 2021 and 2024 — facilitated by former Pakistan cop and alleged handler Nasir Dhillon.
Tech handover, military leaks, and YouTube as espionage gateway
Investigators are alarmed by Singh’s disclosure that he handed over his entire laptop to a Pakistani officer, potentially enabling data transfer or malware installation.
The use of digital content creators as espionage conduits marks a disturbing trend, with authorities warning that Pakistan’s intelligence network is targeting YouTubers with high reach and frequent cross-border interactions.
Singh’s arrest is just the tip of the iceberg. A trail of suspects is emerging across India:
• Davendra Singh Dhillon, 25, a student from Patiala’s Khalsa College, was caught in Haryana after posting gun photos online.
• Nauman Ilahi, 24, a security guard, was allegedly receiving ISI money via his brother-in-law’s account.
• Sahdev Singh Gohil, 28, a Gujarat health worker, is accused of leaking military site data.
• Arman and Tarif, both from Nuh in Haryana, were nabbed days apart — the latter caught trying to delete chats with Pakistani numbers as police reached his home.
• Shakur Khan, a Rajasthan government employee, is also behind bars for espionage.
Espionage racket backed by terror: Police
Police officials have called this a “terror-backed espionage network” with strategic links to Pakistan’s military and intelligence units. Singh’s two-day police remand was extended on Saturday as new layers of the network unravel.
The scale of infiltration, with Pakistani handlers using diplomatic immunity, ex-cops and tech-savvy recruits, has prompted fresh alerts to central intelligence and defense agencies.
As investigations widen across digital platforms and state lines, what started as harmless vlogging now threatens to expose a dangerous hybrid warfare strategy — where content creation turns into covert collaboration.
