Lahore High Court Grants Bail to YouTuber Ducky Bhai in Illegal Gambling Promotion Probe

In a notable development, the Lahore High Court has approved bail for prominent YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, widely recognized as Ducky Bhai, after he spent several months behind bars facing charges of endorsing unauthorized betting applications.

The ruling, delivered on Monday by Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry, requires the influencer to furnish surety bonds totaling Rs 1 million (about $11,174). Saad-ur-Rehman, represented by attorneys Imran Chadhar and Shaharyar Goraiah, did not appear in person.

The arrest occurred on August 17 at Lahore Airport, carried out by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which accused him of using his popular YouTube channel to advertise illicit gambling platforms for financial gain.

Investigations into the matter kicked off on June 13, targeting a group of social media figures and content creators suspected of monetized promotions for betting and wagering apps. The initial police report highlighted financial losses suffered by users and pinpointed Saad-ur-Rehman's alleged role, including claims he acted as a "Country Manager" for at least one app. It referenced 27 video links from his content—most of which have since been deleted—as evidence of such endorsements.

Prior efforts to obtain release through lower District and Sessions Courts proved unsuccessful, prompting an appeal to the High Court. Earlier this month, the bench issued directives for the NCCIA to submit its counterarguments. The petitioner argued he received no prior summons from authorities before his detention.

Case Complicated by Corruption Claims Against Investigators

The saga took an unexpected twist in late October when nine NCCIA personnel faced scrutiny for alleged power abuse and accepting kickbacks from Saad-ur-Rehman, injecting fresh doubts into the probe's integrity.

For now, the bail allows the YouTuber temporary freedom as proceedings continue under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and pertinent sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. Earlier this year, officials had restricted access to multiple betting and unregulated trading services while prolonging his detention amid inquiries into digital scams and unauthorized endorsements.