LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Monday granted bail to YouTuber Saadur Rehman, known as Ducky Bhai, in a case concerning the promotion of illegal gambling apps. However, he has not yet been released from custody.
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Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhary approved bail for Rehman on the condition of a Rs1 million surety. The YouTuber has been in custody since his arrest on August 17 at Lahore airport, carried out by the Lahore branch of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The case was registered by the state via NCCIA Lahore around midnight on August 17 under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, including 13 (Electronic Forgery), 14 (Electronic Fraud), 25 (Spamming), and 26 (Spoofing), alongside sections 294B (Offering prize in connection with trade) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The investigation traces back to June 13, when information from “reliable sources” suggested that some YouTubers and social media influencers were promoting gambling and betting platforms on their accounts for personal financial gain.
According to the FIR, the public was encouraged to invest in these apps, resulting in financial losses. Rehman was specifically accused of promoting multiple gambling apps, such as Binomo, 1xBet, Bet365, and B9 Game, through his YouTube channel. The FIR cited 27 video links allegedly used to promote these platforms, though many of the videos are no longer accessible.
Earlier, Rehman had applied for bail in the district and sessions court as well as before a judicial magistrate, but his requests were denied, leading him to approach the Lahore High Court. The court had previously issued notices to NCCIA to present their arguments on his application. Rehman maintained that he had not received any prior notice from the agency before his arrest.
In late October, nine officers from NCCIA were reportedly booked for allegedly abusing their authority, extorting money from Rehman, and accepting bribes.
