FIA gets three-day remand of NCCIA officers in Ducky Bhai bribery probe

A local court on Tuesday granted a three-day physical remand of six officers from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), who were arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for allegedly extorting millions of rupees from YouTuber Saad ur Rehman’s family, popularly known as Ducky Bhai.

The FIA presented the suspects before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo, seeking their remand to recover the alleged bribe money and gather further evidence. The arrested officers were identified as Additional Director Chaudhry Sarfraz, Shoaib Riaz, Ali Raza, Mujtaba Zafar, Yasir, and Zafar.

According to the FIA, the accused are charged with misusing their authority and accepting illegal payments from Ducky Bhai’s wife, Aroob Jatoi, to extend undue relief during an ongoing inquiry. The agency said physical remand was essential to trace the flow of illicit funds and complete the investigation.

However, the defense counsel, Advocate Ali Ashfaq, challenged the legality of the arrests, arguing they were made without authorization from FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja — a requirement under the agency’s internal procedures. He further questioned the credibility of the complaint, noting that it lacked crucial details, including the address of the alleged payer, and that the FIR was lodged only 20 minutes after the complaint was filed.