Ducky Bhai files bail plea after court sends him to jail on judicial remand
The YouTuber's application argues the FIR against him in the promotion of online gambling applications is 'false and frivolous'.
A Lahore court dismissed on Monday the bail application of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, known more popularly as Ducky Bhai, after Magistrate Muhammad Naeem Wattoo concluded his actions had extraordinary effects on society, especially on young people.
Rehman was arrested from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on August 17 while attempting to leave the country. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency had filed a case against him 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, for promoting banned gambling applications. His legal team filed for bail after the YouTuber was sent to jail on a judicial remand on September 9.
During the bail plea proceedings, Rehman’s lawyer, Advocate Chaudhry Usman Ali, argued authorities handled the investigation improperly and failed to provide evidence proving the charge of Rehman acting as country manager for the betting application Binomo. The counsel stated the application was banned after Rehman’s arrest, questioning the merit of the complaint and calling it “frivolous”.
Zaina Zaheer, the lawyer representing the state, countered saying gambling was banned in the country even if any specific gambling application was not. She said analysis of electronic devices recovered from Rehman’s possession, including a laptop and two mobile phones, had produced sufficient evidence — including voice chats with officials from Binomo — to prove the YouTuber’s ties to the banned application. An amount of $326,420 was seized from one of Rehman’s accounts, which the prosecution claimed was given to him for promoting illegal applications.
Magistrate Wattoo concluded the defendant had neither denied his ties to the applications, nor presented any alternative source for the recovered funds. The magistrate said technical reports from the investigation were sufficient to prove Rehman’s ties to illegal applications and said his bad advice had great impact because millions of young people followed him. Calling social media influencers to be careful of what they promote, Magistrate Wattoo said Rehman’s actions can not be treated casually and dismissed his plea for bail.