Case against Elvish Yadav: Complainant claims threat to life

The complainant who had filed a case against YouTuber Elvish Yadav and singer Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuriya for using snakes in a music video, has flagged a threat to his life and sought protection.

On Tuesday, the complainant Saurabh Gupta, an officer of the People for Animals (PFA) organization, applied to the court highlighting that he was receiving threats. He alleged that there could be an attack on him like Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and INLD leader Nafe Singh Rathi. He said that another date should be given in the case, so that the police could ensure his security.

According to the police, the next hearing has been scheduled for March 28.

On November 3, six people, including YouTuber Elvish Yadav, were booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Section 120A (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly providing snake venom for a party in Noida’s Sector 51

Elvish Yadav told the Noida police on November 8, last year that two snakes that featured in his music video and had been arranged by a Bollywood singer.

The status report of the investigation was to be submitted in court on Tuesday and during the hearing, a lawyer appeared in the court on behalf of Elvish Yadav. While hearing the matter, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate Manoj Rana fixed the date for the next hearing on March 28.

Gupta has also written to the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court, District and Sessions Judge of Gurugram and Gurugram police commissioner. In the letter, he has written that he is continuously receiving death threats on social media. He said that he is being pressurized to withdraw the complaint. He had also put in a complaint about this at the Nandgram police station of Ghaziabad. The people who were threatening him were of a criminal bent of mind and he should be provided security, he claimed.

PFA on February 20 had filed a 13-point reply in the Gurugram court regarding the use of rare species of snakes in the music video featuring Elvish Yadav and singer Rahul Yadav. A complaint was made to Gurugram Police on behalf of PFA. In the complaint made by Gupta, it was said that both have used snakes in the song in a commercial manner. When Gurugram Police did not register a complaint, Saurabh Gupta approached the court.

In November, last year the police arrested five people and recovered several snakes from their possession. The action was taken based on a sting operation carried out by the People for Animals.