New Delhi:

YouTuber Elvish Yadav used a virtual phone number to coordinate the supply of snake venom for rave parties and send instructions to snake charmers, Noida police has said in its 1,200-page chargesheet filed in an Uttar Pradesh court yesterday.

The chargesheet, which names eight accused and contains statements by 24 witnesses, has shocking details of how the YouTuber allegedly arranged venom for parties. Noida police have said he used a virtual phone number for this. A virtual number provides more privacy and is not tied to a location or device.

The chargesheet says that when a party was planned and venom was required, Elvish Yadav used the virtual number to call his friend Vinay. Vinay would then convey the instructions to Ishwar, who would pass them on to snake charmers. The snake charmers would accordingly reach the party’s venue with their snakes, the chargesheet says. Police have found Elvish’s virtual number on Vinay’s call records.

Elvish, Vinay and Ishwar had been arrested for questioning last month and are currently out on bail.

Noida police have also said venom was extracted from snakes at a banquet hall owned by Ishwar. Elvish Yadav, the chargesheet says, was in touch with snake charmers now in jail. Police have also explained the grounds for invoking sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 against the YouTuber.

Senior police officer Vidya Sagar Mishra said the venom seized from the snake charmers belongs to krait snakes, a member of the cobra family. “We have filed a chargesheet against all named accused. We have also included statements by an adequate number of witnesses. This includes an expert from Mumbai’s Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.”

In November last year, five snake charmers were arrested from a banquet hall in Noida’s Sector 51 and nine snakes, five of them cobra, were recovered from them. About 20 ml of suspected snake venom was also found. The snake charmers were arrested and are now out on bail. The investigation into the matter led the cops to Elvish Yadav and the other accused.

Gurugram:

Days after coming out of prison on bail, YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav has found himself in trouble once again.

This time, a case has been registered against Elvish Yadav and singer Rahul Yadav, alias Fazilpuriya, for illegally using snakes and using abusive language during the shooting of the song titled ’32 Bore’.

According to the police, the case has been registered under Badshahpur police station of Gurugram under Section 294 of IPC.

Giving details, Satish Deshwal, SHO of Badshahpur police station, said, “We have received an order from the court that an FIR should be registered against Elvish Yadav and singer Fazilpuriya under section 156(3). An FIR has been registered under sections of the IPC, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and Wildlife Protection Act.”

We will verify the record and a notice will be sent to them (Elvish Yadav and singer Fazilpuriya) after further investigation. The complainant has provided a link (of video) in the FIR, after the joint investigation of the complainant party, all the evidence will be collected, he added.

It is being said that Elvish Yadav, along with 50 others, were seen using various snakes, which are prohibited as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in a video that went viral on the internet.

The plea also claimed that the video was filmed in a Gurgaon mall, stating that Elvish Yadav, along with unidentified individuals, engaged in additional unlawful activities.

Earlier, Elvish Yadav got arrested after an FIR was registered against six people, including Elvish Yadav, at Noida Sector 49 police station for allegedly supplying snake venom suspected to be used as a recreational drug at a rave party in Noida.

However, after five days of his arrest, Gautam Buddha Nagar District Court granted him bail.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bigg Boss OTT winner Elvish Yadav was arrested in the snake venom-rave party case and remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Sunday. Mr Yadav faces a case under the Wildlife Act in Noida for arranging snake venom at rave parties. The 26-year-old YouTuber, who initially denied any involvement in the case, has now admitted that he arranged snake venom at rave parties, said police sources.

What is the case?

The case surrounds the alleged use of snake venom as a recreational drug at rave parties in Noida last year. Mr Yadav is accused of arranging the snake venom at his parties and using snakes in his video shoots.

The police busted a snake smuggling racket in November last year after it raided a banquet hall in Noida Sector 51. Five people, including four snake charmers, were arrested from the banquet hall for supplying snake venom. Nine snakes including cobras and poison were also recovered from them.

A forensic investigation later revealed the use of venom of cobra and krait species in samples seized from there.

The breakthrough came after a trap was laid by an NGO, People For Animals.

A rave party is a vibrant dance party focussed on the youth-oriented rave culture, which often gets into trouble with authorities over drug use and safety reasons.

How Is Elvish Yadav Involved?

Questioned about the snakes in his video shoots, Mr Yadav has told the police those were arranged by Bollywood singer Fazilpuria, sources said.

The five people arrested in the case have told the cops that they used to supply snake venom at rave parties allegedly organised by Elvish Yadav.

Their arrest came after PFA member Gaurav Gupta complained to the police that he had contacted Elvish Yadav for snake venom as part of a trap. During the call, Mr Gupta was given a phone number after which he contacted the five accused, the police said.

Former Union minister Maneka Gandhi too had accused Mr Yadav of involvement in illegally selling snake venom and sought his immediate arrest.

What is snake venom addiction?

Snake venom addiction is an unusual form of substance abuse where individuals intentionally expose themselves to snake venom for intoxication effects. The venom can induce a range of symptoms like intoxication due to the neurotoxins present in it. This form of addiction, also known as ophidism, is extremely dangerous and life-threatening and is not a common practice in India.

The effects of snake venom can be unpredictable and potentially deadly and can last for days. In the long run, it may trigger physical and psychological dependence among users.

The use and possession of drugs, including substances derived from snake venom, are governed by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985. But the cops have not invoked the NDPS Act against Mr Yadav as drugs were not found at the spot, according to an official.