July 10th 2024.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned YouTuber Siddharth Yadav, popularly known as Elvish Yadav, for questioning on July 23. This comes after he was linked to a case involving the suspected use of snake venom as a recreational drug at parties hosted by him. The central agency had taken cognisance of an FIR and a charge sheet filed against Elvish Yadav and his associates by the police in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district. They have pressed charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Initially, Elvish Yadav was asked to appear before the ED's Lucknow office this week, but he requested a deferment due to his scheduled foreign travel and professional commitments. However, he has now been asked to depose before the investigating officer on July 23. The singer from Haryana, Rahul Yadav alias Rahul Fazilpuriya, who is believed to be linked to Elvish Yadav, was also questioned by the ED this week in connection with the same case. He may be called again for further questioning.
The ED is investigating the alleged generation of proceeds of crime and the use of illicit funds for organizing rave or recreational parties. Elvish Yadav was arrested on March 17 by the Noida police for their probe into the suspected use of snake venom at parties hosted by him. The 26-year-old YouTuber, who rose to fame after winning the reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2, was booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and the Indian Penal Code.
Elvish Yadav was among six people named in an FIR filed on November 3 last year by the NGO People for Animals at Noida's Sector 49 police station. The other five accused, all snake charmers, were arrested and later granted bail. They were caught with nine snakes, including five cobras, and 20 ml of suspected snake venom at a banquet hall in Noida. However, the police had stated that Elvish Yadav was not present at the venue, and they were investigating his role in the case.
In April, the Noida police had filed a chargesheet of over 1,200 pages in the case. The charges included snake trafficking, use of psychotropic substances, and organizing rave parties. The police had also said that they were looking into Elvish Yadav's involvement in the case.
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