The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to Jasbir Singh, a Rupnagar-based YouTuber who was arrested last year on allegations of spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The court noted a significant lack of “readily available corroborative material” to link the petitioner to the transmission of sensitive or classified information.
Jasbir Singh, who operates a YouTube channel titled ‘Jaan Mahal,’ was arrested on June 3, 2025. He was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Official Secrets Act.
The prosecution’s case rested on claims that Singh was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative and an official from the Pakistan High Commission who had been expelled from Delhi on spying charges. Police further alleged that during multiple visits to Pakistan, Singh had conspired with unknown accomplices to pass sensitive information, including details of Indian Army movements, to the ISI.
Counsel for the petitioner argued that Singh is a regular vlogger who documents his travels on YouTube and Instagram. They contended that the criminal proceedings were initiated solely based on the public content posted on his channel. It was further highlighted that Singh had already spent over 10 months in actual custody and maintained clean antecedents prior to this arrest.
The State counsel, while opposing the bail, maintained that the petitioner was associated with foreign intelligence agents. However, the State could not dispute that the retrieved mobile data failed to show any direct chats or communications with Pakistani nationals at this stage of the investigation.
Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj, while presiding over the matter, observed that there were “arguable issues” regarding whether an offence had actually been committed. The court pointed out that the prosecution failed to demonstrate that the content uploaded by Singh involved any classified or restricted material.
“The state counsel does not dispute that, prima facie, the videos in question appear to be of locations and subjects that are accessible to the general public and no material has been placed on record to demonstrate that the petitioner had access to, or disseminated any sensitive or confidential information,” the court observed.
The Bench further noted that the retrieval of the petitioner’s mobile data did not recover messages or communications reflecting contact with Pakistani nationals. Taking into account the 10-month custody period and the lack of overt acts indicative of “culpable intent,” the court found it fit to allow the bail plea.
The High Court concluded that the material currently available did not sufficiently establish the transmission of sensitive information. While the investigation may continue, the court determined that continued incarceration was not warranted given the nature of the evidence presented thus far.
