LAHORE; Judicial magistrate in Lahore on Thursday extended the physical remand of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai, for four more days, keeping him in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The extension comes in connection with an ongoing probe into the promotion of illegal online gambling applications through social media platforms.
Rehman, one of Pakistan’s most popular YouTubers with millions of followers, was arrested on August 17 at Lahore airport. The state registered the case against him through NCCIA Lahore under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, including Section 13 (Electronic Forgery), Section 14 (Electronic Fraud), Section 25 (Spamming), and Section 26 (Spoofing). Charges were also framed under Sections 294-B (Offering Prize in Connection with Trade) and 420 (Cheating and Dishonest Inducement of Property Delivery) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the case stems from an inquiry initiated on June 13, following “reliable source” information that several YouTubers and influencers were actively promoting betting and gambling applications. Authorities allege that these promotions lured unsuspecting members of the public into investing their money, leading to heavy financial losses.
The FIR specifically accuses Rehman of promoting applications such as Binomo, 1xBet, Bet365, and B9 Game via his YouTube channel. These platforms have long been controversial in Pakistan, where online betting and gambling are illegal, but have often found traction among the youth through aggressive influencer-driven marketing.
During Thursday’s hearing, Rehman was produced before the court. The prosecution requested an extension of his remand to complete the investigation, arguing that more evidence needed to be examined regarding his alleged collaboration with gambling networks. Rehman’s lawyer, Chaudhry Usman Ali, opposed the request, insisting that his client was being unfairly targeted and that there was insufficient evidence to warrant further detention.
The magistrate, however, sided with the prosecution and granted the four-day extension, directing authorities to present the accused again on September 1.
