Popular YouTuber Rajab Butt was extended interim bail on Thursday in a case pertaining to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and Section 295-C of Pakistan’s penal law, which concerns blasphemy, sources reported.
Lahore’s sessions court prohibited the police from arresting Butt until June 21 after the controversial vlogger personally attended the court during the hearing.
The court also directed him to report to the police and cooperate with the investigation in every way.
The case was registered at Nishtar Colony Police Station after Rajab Butt launched a perfume called “295,” which created huge controversy.
Butt was arrested on the day of his wedding for firing a gun in public and for housing a lion cub in his home without a license.
Police, in collaboration with the Wildlife Department, searched his residence in the Chuhng area following reports that he had illegal wildlife and was displaying weapons publicly. The lion cub presented to him at his wedding was seized during the raid.
A special judicial magistrate subsequently convicted Rajab Butt for maintaining the lion cub illegally and sentenced him to one year of community service.
“He will create/make a video in the vlog format with special content on the right of the animal for a complete five minutes during the first week of each month for a complete one year from February 2025 to January 2026,” said the order by Magistrate Hamidul Rehman Nasir.
Earlier, a serious criminal case has been filed against five individuals, including prominent YouTubers Rajab Butt and Maan Dogar, at Lahore’s Nawab Town police station, over allegations of rape, blackmail, and illegal confinement made by a female social media activist.
The woman says she made acquainted with Salman Haider, a relative of Rajab Butt, on social media, according to the first information report (FIR).
