Elvish Yadav, a prominent YouTuber and winner of Big Boss OTT 2, found himself back in the spotlight as he was summoned for interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, September 5th, 2024. The ED, probing a money laundering case linked to a snake venom-rave party incident, questioned Yadav at their zonal office in Lucknow. This was his second appearance before the ED, following an earlier summons in July 2024.
The case dates back to November 2023 when the People for Animals (PFA) organization filed an FIR against six individuals, including Elvish Yadav, at the Noida Sector 49 police station. The complaint alleged that the accused supplied snake venom, suspected to be used as a recreational drug, at a rave party in Noida.
Following the complaint, Elvish Yadav and five others were arrested in March 2024. Yadav was initially sent to judicial custody for 14 days. They were charged under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Section 120A (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, Yadav secured bail from the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Court five days after his arrest.
In a video released after his bail, Yadav spoke about his experience in prison, calling it a “very bad phase of his life.” He expressed gratitude towards his supporters and announced his return to work.
The 1200-page chargesheet in the case revealed that Elvish Yadav had been in contact with snake charmers. Authorities recovered a venomous snake, along with 20 milliliters of venom from the Krait species, from the location of the rave party. Based on the FIR and chargesheet filed by the Noida Police, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in May 2024.
The ongoing investigation by the ED continues to shed light on the alleged involvement of individuals like Elvish Yadav in the disturbing incident, raising concerns about the potential use of snake venom as a recreational drug and the broader implications of money laundering associated with such activities.
