(Web Desk) - A Lahore court has rejected the bail plea of YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai, who was arrested on charges of promoting online gambling and uploading obscene content on social media.
Magistrate Muhammad Naeem Wattoo observed that Ducky Bhai’s actions had an “extraordinary impact” on society, particularly on the youth, and emphasised that social media influencers must be conscious of what they promote.
During the hearing, the defence counsel, Advocate Chaudhry Usman Ali, argued that the investigation was flawed and lacked sufficient evidence to prove that the YouTuber was working as a country manager for a betting application.
He also pointed out that the application in question was banned only after Ducky Bhai’s arrest, and the complaint itself was baseless.
However, state prosecutor Zainab Zaheer stated that gambling is illegal in Pakistan, regardless of the specific platform. She revealed that incriminating evidence had been recovered from the YouTuber’s possession, including a laptop and two mobile phones. This evidence reportedly includes voice chats with officials from the banned app Binomo, allegedly confirming his involvement.
The prosecution further claimed that $326,420 was discovered in one of Ducky Bhai’s accounts, allegedly earned through the promotion of illegal apps. The court noted that the accused failed to deny his links with the gambling apps or provide a legitimate explanation for the recovered funds.
Magistrate Wattoo concluded that technical reports from the investigation were sufficient to establish the YouTuber’s connection with illegal activities and that his influence could not be ignored given his massive youth following.
The case was originally registered on August 17 by the NCCIA Lahore under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), including Sections 13 (Electronic Forgery), 14 (Electronic Fraud), 25 (Spamming), and 26 (Spoofing), as well as Sections 294-B and 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Ducky Bhai was remanded to judicial custody on September 9, after which his legal team filed for bail — now officially denied.