Lucknow, 4 May: According to official sources, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering case against YouTuber Siddharth Yadav, alias Elvish Yadav, and others for allegedly using snake venom as a recreational drug during parties he threw.
The federal agency filed charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after receiving a FIR and charge sheet submitted by the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) district police in Uttar Pradesh last month against him and those associated with him. The ED is investigating the suspected production of criminal proceeds and the use of unlawful cash to organise rave or recreational events. According to reports, Yadav and others involved in the case will be questioned as part of the inquiry.
The Noida Police detained Yadav on March 17 as part of an investigation into the alleged usage of snake venom as a recreational substance at parties organized by him. The 26-year-old YouTuber, who won the reality program Bigg Boss OTT 2, was charged by Noida police under several provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Yadav was one of six persons mentioned in a FIR filed at Noida’s Sector 49 Police Station on November 3 last year in response to a complaint from a representative of the animal rights NGO persons for Animals.
The other five suspects, also snake charmers, were detained in November and eventually released on bail by a local court. On November 3, last year, the five snake charmers were apprehended in a banquet venue in Noida. Nine snakes, including five cobras, were recovered from their custody, and 20 ml of suspected snake venom was seized.
According to authorities, Yadav was not present in the banquet hall at the time. In April, the Noida Police submitted a charge sheet of over 1,200 pages in the case. According to the police, the allegations include snake trafficking, the use of psychoactive chemicals, and arranging rave events.
