Two YouTubers, Jasbir Singh and Jyoti Malhotra, arrested in India for alleged espionage for Pakistan. Investigations reveal links to the ISI and the involvement of the Pakistan High Commission.
Jasbir Singh YouTuber: The rapidly growing influence of social media in India is increasingly becoming a concern for security agencies. Recently, two YouTubers, Jasbir Singh and Jyoti Malhotra, were arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. Interrogation revealed that both were linked to Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, and were given espionage tasks by an official stationed at the Pakistan High Commission.
Arrest of Jasbir Singh and Jyoti Malhotra
Punjab Police arrested Jasbir Singh, alias Jan Mahal, a resident of Mahalan village in Rupnagar district, from Mohali. YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, from Hisar, Haryana, had already been arrested. Both are accused of providing sensitive information related to India to the ISI.
Punjab's DGP Gaurav Yadav, in a press conference, stated that Jasbir Singh was directly in contact with Pakistani intelligence operative Shakir, alias Jatt Randhawa. Both received espionage assignments from Ehsan-ur-Rehim, alias Danish, a former official expelled from the Pakistan High Commission.
Previous Stay in Pakistan
Investigating agencies discovered that Jasbir Singh and Jyoti Malhotra stayed together in Lahore, Pakistan, for ten days. Nasir Dhillon, a former sub-inspector of the Pakistan Police, facilitated their meetings with ISI officials. Nasir is now a YouTuber himself and was involved in targeting YouTubers traveling from India to Pakistan.
How the Espionage Network Operated
Investigations revealed that Nasir Dhillon, a former sub-inspector in the Pakistan Police, facilitated meetings between Indian YouTubers and Danish, who was stationed at the visa desk of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Danish would invite them as guests to the Pakistan High Commission and then assign them espionage tasks in India.
Following a suspicious incident in Pahalgam, the Indian government expelled Danish and sent him back to Pakistan. However, investigating agencies believe that the Pakistan High Commission has consistently been involved in the ISI's anti-India plots.
Further Names Revealed During Interrogation
Interrogation by central agencies yielded crucial information from Jasbir Singh. This suggests how the ISI targets Indian social media influencers to plot against India.
The investigation also revealed that several former Pakistani policemen, many of whom are now YouTubers, are entrapping Indians and connecting them with the ISI. Many of these individuals have been arrested from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Each arrest during interrogation has led to the uncovering of new names.
