A judicial magistrate in Lahore on Monday formally indicted popular YouTuber Saadur Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai, his wife Aroob Jatoi, and several others for allegedly promoting gambling applications through their social media platforms. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and decided to contest the trial.
Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo ordered the prosecution to present its witnesses at the next hearing, with further proceedings scheduled for February 23. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case, alleging that Rehman and his associates used their massive online platforms to promote gambling and betting apps to the public, encouraging investments in unregulated digital platforms without legal safeguards.
The agency had arrested Rehman in August 2025 at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport while he was attempting to travel abroad. Authorities accused him of promoting unauthorized gambling platforms such as Binomo, 1xBet, and B9 Game, alleging he financially benefited from the promotions and had even operated as a “country manager” for one company without government approval.
The Lahore High Court released him on bail on November 24, after he spent over three months in NCCIA custody. In December, Rehman uploaded a nearly hour-long video to his YouTube channel, making allegations of physical and verbal abuse while in NCCIA custody.
The case took a dramatic turn when six NCCIA officials were given a three-day physical remand in October for allegedly misusing their authority, extorting money, and taking bribes, after a case was registered against them on the complaint of Aroob Jatoi. NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry was removed from his post in September, reportedly over different controversies, including allegedly beating Rehman.
With over 10 million YouTube subscribers, Ducky Bhai’s case has become one of Pakistan’s most high-profile digital content regulation controversies.
