CHANDIGARH: A Mohali court on Monday sent Punjab YouTuber Jasbir Singh, arrested on espionage charges to fourteen days’ judicial custody.

Singh alias Jaan Mahal, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, was arrested on June 4 and was sent to Ropar Jail from Mohali. He was running a YouTube channel “JaanMahal Video” with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs.

Singh was produced before the court after the completion of the two-day police remand.

Speaking to the presspersons, the counsel appearing for Mr Singh said that they will file his bail application.

Meanwhile, his female friend, hailing from Jalandhar, was questioned for hours at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of the Punjab Police.

According to the police, She has told them that Singh took her to Delhi several times and once accompanied her to an invitation-only Pakistan Day event hosted by the Pakistan High Commission, despite her not having an official invite. Singh allegedly used his close ties with Pakistan operative Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish to secure her entry, according to police sources.

The woman also claimed that Singh had been providing her with financial assistance for some time. Her phone and social media accounts are currently being examined as part of the broader investigation into a suspected Pakistan-backed espionage network.

According to investigators, Danish had been attempting to lure more young women into the network. Singh is also suspected to have been in contact with another Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa.