Why ED seized Elvish Yadav’s assets: A look at allegations against Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner
Elvish Yadav was questioned by ED over allegations of using snake venom as recreational drugs at parties, along with associated financial transactions.
Elivish Yadav case: The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth more than ₹52 lakh of YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Siddharth Yadav alias Elvish Yadav, his friend and singer Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuriya and a company as part of a money laundering investigation.
According to a statement from the agency on Thursday, the ED has issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which includes agricultural land in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, and certain bank deposits of the involved entities.
What is ED alleging against Elvish Yadav?
Elvish Yadav and singer Fazilpuriya have been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case involving the alleged use of snake venom as recreational drugs at parties they hosted, as well as related financial transactions.
The ED claims that both Elvish and Fazilpuriya illegally used protected snake species and exotic animals like iguanas in their music videos and vlogs to gain followers and generate revenue.
These videos were handed over to Sky Digital India Pvt Ltd and subsequently uploaded on YouTube to earn profits. The agency referenced a Noida police FIR, which stated that these videos involved “cruelty” to wildlife.
The ED initiated a case in May, invoking the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after reviewing two police FIRs and a charge sheet filed by the Noida police against Elvish Yadav and others.
What are all the charges against him?
Elvish Yadav was arrested by the Noida Police on March 17 in connection with an investigation into the suspected use of snake venom as a recreational drug at parties he allegedly hosted.
The controversial YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner was charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was one of six persons named in an FIR filed at Noida's Sector 49 police station on November 3, 2023 following a complaint from People for Animals (PFA), an animal rights NGO.
Five other accused, all snake charmers, were arrested in November and later granted bail. They were apprehended at a banquet hall in Noida, where nine snakes, including five cobras, were rescued, and 20 ml of suspected snake venom was seized.
The charges against Elvish Yadav under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were later dropped, with police clarifying that Yadav was not present at the banquet hall. However, they continued investigating his potential involvement in the case, which allegedly involved the use of snake venom as a recreational drug.
In April, Noida Police submitted a 1,200-page charge sheet detailing charges of snake trafficking, use of psychotropic substances, and organising rave parties.
On September 5 this year, Yadav submitted documents regarding his personal financial transactions and assets to the investigating officer. This took place during his second round of questioning in the money laundering case tied to the suspected use of snake venom at parties he hosted and the related financial activities.
