YouTuber Ducky Bhai to remain in NCCIA custody till Sept 3
The agency's request for an extension in the YouTuber's physical remand was granted by a Lahore magistrate.
A Lahore judicial magistrate approved on Wednesday a two-day extension in the physical remand of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, in the promotion of illegal online gambling applications case against him.
The court has directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to complete its investigation against the YouTuber. Through his lawyer, Ducky Bhai said he wants the agency to complete its investigation and he had no objection to an extended remand.
Rehman, who was arrested at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on August 17, is accused of promoting platforms such as Binomo, 1xBet, Bet 365, and B9 Game via his YouTube channel. The authorities are accusing him of functioning as a “country manager” for at least one of these apps and receiving financial benefit from these promotions.
The case was registered by the state through the NCCIA Lahore under sections 13 (Electronic Forgery), 14 (Electronic Fraud), 25 (Spamming) and 26 (Spoofing) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 as well as sections 294 B (Offering prize in connection with trade) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducting delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The case is related to an inquiry dated June 13 and registered on the “receipt of information from reliable source(s)” that some YouTubers and social media influencers were promoting gambling and betting applications to the general public via their social media accounts for their own monetary benefits.
The extension comes after the completion of the YouTuber’s two-day remand, which had been granted during a court hearing on Monday.
During Monday’s hearing, Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Naeem Wattoo had granted two more days of remand following a request by the NCCIA. The agency cited the need to complete its ongoing investigation and forensic examination of electronic devices seized from Rehman.
Rehman’s legal counsel, Advocate Chaudhry Usman Ali, had argued against the extension, claiming that financial records could be obtained without keeping the accused in custody. He had also questioned the evidence linking Rehman’s actions to actual financial losses suffered by users.
His previous remand had commenced on August 28 and concluded on September 1. The NCCIA presented him in court following the completion of the remand.
The agency is expected to finalise the ongoing investigation during this remand period. Rehman will be formally presented again in court once this extended remand expires.