Court rejects bail plea of Ducky Bhai

Rs210m traced in suspect's accounts

LAHORE:

A sessions court on Thursday dismissed the bail application of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, known as Ducky Bhai, in a case linked to the promotion of gambling and forex applications.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Dr Sajida Chaudhry announced the reserved verdict after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence earlier in the day.

The prosecutor opposed the bail plea, arguing that substantial evidence existed against the accused. He said the inquiry was initiated on the basis of a credible source report pointing to Ducky Bhai's alleged role in encouraging the public to invest in unlicensed gambling and forex platforms through his online content.

He further informed the court that the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had not registered such apps.

Investigators also reported tracing Rs160 million in one account and Rs50 million in another belonging to the accused, for which no satisfactory explanation was provided.

On the other hand, the defence counsel contended that no witnesses had been produced, no prior notice was issued, and no gambling app was recovered from his client.

He termed the case procedurally flawed, noting that the inquiry began on June 30, the arrest was made on August 13, while the FIR was lodged on August 17.

He also argued that Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) had been misapplied, pointing out that if the apps were unlawful, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) should have blocked them.

Despite the arguments, the court dismissed the plea. Notably, on September 23, a Judicial Magistrate had also rejected Ducky Bhai's bail request in the same case.

The National Cyber Investigation Agency registered the case on August 17 under various provisions of PECA, including electronic forgery, fraud, spamming, and spoofing, in addition to Sections 294-B and 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code.