Lahore court sends Ducky Bhai to prison on judicial remand

LAHORE: Renowned YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, was sent on a 14-day judicial remand by a Lahore court in a case related to the alleged promotion of online gambling and betting apps.

Ducky Bhai was arrested last month at Lahore airport by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

At the outset of today’s hearing, the NCCIA produced Ducky Bhai before the court and sought an extension in his physical remand for further investigation. The court, however, rejected the NCCIA’s plea and sent the YouTuber to jail on judicial remand for two weeks.

On Friday, the court extended Ducky Bhai’s physical remand for three days, while on September 3, a Lahore judicial magistrate approved a further two-day extension. His previous remand lasted from August 28 to September 1.

The case against the YouTuber was registered by the state through the NCCIA at midnight on August 17.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the case includes charges under sections 13, 14, 25, and 26 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, as well as sections 294-B and 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The YouTuber is accused of promoting various online gambling and betting platforms, including Binomo and 1xBet, through his YouTube channel, the FIR claimed.

This latest case comes just months after the motorway police booked the famous YouTuber for performing dangerous stunts while driving.

Duky Bhai is one of Pakistan's most-followed digital content creators, with over 700 videos uploaded and more than 8 million subscribers on YouTube.