Lucknow:

 YouTuber Elvish Yadav has been asked to appear before the Lucknow unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 23 for questioning in connection with the money laundering case related to the snake venom-rave party case, registered against him by Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) police, said senior ED officials.

Earlier, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the snake venom incident, considering the significant amount of money involved in the racket in May this year.

M Yadav was arrested on March 17 and sent to 14-day judicial custody.

However, he was granted bail by a local court five days later.

A senior ED official confirmed that the agency’s Lucknow unit summoned Elvish Yadav on July 23 after he expressed his inability to appear before the ED on July 8, citing his foreign tour.

The official said Mr Yadav has been given relaxation and allowed to turn up later.

He added that Elvish Yadav’s close associate and Haryana singer Rahul Yadav, popularly known as Fazilpuria, was questioned for multiple hours at the ED Lucknow office on Monday.

Fazilpuria was questioned about the use of a snake in one of his popular songs.

Besides, Elvish Yadav’s other aides, Ishwar Yadav and Vinay Yadav, were questioned in the matter in the past.

On April 6, the Gautam Buddha Nagar police filed a 1,200-page chargesheet under the Wildlife Conservation Act against Mr Yadav and seven others in connection with the case, nearly six months after the FIR was registered.

The charge sheet describes how snakes were smuggled and how their venom was used at the parties.

While Mr Yadav had refuted the charges against him, calling them “baseless and fake,” police later dropped charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against him, stating that it was a “mistake” on their side.

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

Noida:

After the Noida Police, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will now take forward the investigation into the case involving YouTuber and former Bigg Boss OTT winner Elvish Yadav and his eight associates for organising a rave party in Noida, where snakes and snake venom were reportedly found.

The Noida Police have already submitted a 1,200-page charge sheet in the court naming Elvish Yadav and his associates as accused. The police also submitted electronic evidence, a forensic report, besides the statements of 24 witnesses in the case.

The ED will now collect information related to this case from the Noida Police and take the investigation forward with the help of the evidence recorded in the charge sheet.

The Noida Police have also sent the mobile phones of Elvish Yadav and two other accused to the forensic laboratory for examination.

The ED is likely to question Elvish Yadav soon, sources said.

According to police sources, the three phones that have been sent to the forensic lab contained videos and chats related to rave parties and the use of snake venom.

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

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.)

Noida:

Noida Police on Wednesday arrested two associates of YouTuber Elvish Yadav over its probe into suspected use of snake venoms as recreational drugs in parties, officials said.

The arrest of the duo comes close on the heels of the police arresting Elvish Yadav on Sunday after questioning him in the case.

The duo’s name had not featured in the original FIR, lodged at the Sector 49 Police Station in Noida on November 3, but their links in the case surfaced during the investigation, a senior officer said.

“Those arrested have been identified as Ishwar (50) and Vinay Yadav (25). Ishwar runs a banquet hall in Gurugram while Vinay is a social media influencer and close friend of Elvish Yadav,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shakti Mohan Avasthy said.

“Both the accused have been booked under the same charges as Elvish Yadav, which include the consumption of drugs, organising such parties and trafficking of wildlife species,” Avasthy told PTI.

Elvish Yadav, the 26-year-old controversial social media influencer, is currently lodged in the Luksar Jail in Greater Noida and awaiting hearing of his bail please in the local court, according to officials.

He was among six people named in an FIR lodged at Noida’s Sector 49 Police Station on November 3 last year. The five other accused, identified as snake charmers, were arrested in November but are currently out on bail, the officials said.

The case was lodged under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Indian Penal Code sections 120B (party to criminal conspiracy), 284 (negligent conduct related to poison that endangers human safety) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals), according to police.

Charges under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have recently been added in the case.

While Elvish Yadav has refuted the charges of involvement in the case, BJP leader Maneka Gandhi has in the past accused him of involvement in illegally selling snake venom and sought arrest.

The FIR was lodged on the complaint of an official of animal rights NGO People for Animals (PFA). Gandhi is PFA’s chairperson.

On November 4, Elvish Yadav was briefly stopped for questioning by police in Rajasthan’s Kota while he was travelling with his friends in a car but was let off soon.

(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.

New Delhi:

Bigg Boss OTT winner Elvish Yadav has been arrested in the snake venom-rave party case. Mr Yadav was called for questioning earlier in the day. He will be presented before a court soon.

A case under the Wildlife Act was registered against him in Noida and five others for arranging snake venom for use as a recreational drug at rave parties last year.

The police had raided a banquet hall on November 3 last year in sector 51 of Noida and arrested five people including four snake charmers and recovered nine snakes and poison. Besides, rave parties, it was alleged, snakes were also used by Mr Yadav for video shoots.

The popular YouTuber has several videos featuring snakes on his channel.

How Was Snake Venom-Rave Party Gang Busted?

After seeing videos of Elvish Yadav,  animal rights group PFA (People For Animals) headed by BJP leader Maneka Gandhi called him up, hiding its name and identity. They asked him to provide snakes and their venom. The 26-year-old allegedly gave the number of one Rahul who asked them to come to the sector 51 banquet. The PFA team found four snake charmers – Jaikaran, Titunath, Narayan and  Ravinath – there with nine snakes, including five cobras and 20 ml of snake poison. A team of Noida Police and Forest Department was called in soon after and everyone was arrested.

Elvish Yadav Denies All Charges

Mr Yadav, who has been questioned by the police in the past, has refuted the charges of involvement in the case. “Baseless, fake and not even 1 per cent true,” he said. Police had earlier said that he was not presented at the party hall and they were probing his role in the whole case. Maneka Gandhi, however, accused Mr Yadav of involvement in illegally selling snake venom and sought his immediate arrest. “He (Elvish Yadav) has escaped for now but his arrest should definitely take place,” Ms Gandhi had told reporters.

New Delhi:

Gurugram Police has called Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav for questioning after he was filmed assaulting a YouTuber. The police said they sent a notice to Mr Yadav and asked him to join the interrogation at Sector 53 Police Station on Tuesday.

The video of Mr Yadav assaulting Sagar Thakur, a YouTuber who goes by the moniker Maxtern, went viral. Mr Thakur, who was injured in the incident on Thursday, filed a police case against Mr Yadav, accusing him of trying to break his spine.

Mr Yadav justified his actions yesterday and said he was set up. In an Instagram video titled “first plan and play victim”, he alleged the YouTuber had threatened to “burn” him and his parents alive.

The viral video showed Mr Yadav beating up Mr Thakur at a garments shop, which was a fallout of a social media clash between the two YouTubers.

Mr Thakur, who creates mostly gaming content, had claimed Elvish Yadav’s fan pages were “spreading hate and propaganda”, which made him distressed, and that Mr Yadav gave him a death threat.

In his video, Mr Yadav said he had invited Mr Thakur to his home on the day of the incident, but he leaked the screenshots of their chat to provoke him. “Maxtern made some statements about my family and threatened to burn me and my family alive. I abused him over this and told him I would come and meet him wherever he was,” he said.

They finally met at a garments shop owned by Maxtern’s friend.

Mr Yadav said he was set up and there were cameras hidden everywhere. He also admitted that he threatened to kill Mr Thakur, but maintained it was said in the “heat of the moment”. He also justified his action saying the comments against his family enraged him.

Elvish Yadav is not new to controversies. He is already in legal trouble over the snake venom-rave party case. He is accused of being involved in the supply and use of snake venom.

New Delhi:

Popular YouTuber Sagar Thakur, widely known as “Maxtern,” has accused Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav of brutally attacking him during a late-night meeting in Gurugram. 

Mr Thakur, a resident of Delhi, made the allegations in a video posted on his official X account.

In the video message, Mr Thakur claimed that Mr Yadav punched him in the face and attempted to “break his spine.” He further stated that Mr Yadav openly issued death threats during the altercation. 

“I couldn’t sleep the whole night as I was in pain,” shared Mr Thakur, expressing the physical toll of the alleged attack. He warned that if anything “unfortunate” happened to him in the future, Elvish Yadav should be “held accountable.” He has filed a case against Mr Yadav and is urgently calling for action.

I was brutally attacked and assaulted by @ElvishYadav, who openly issued death threats to me. All the evidence is available on the internet. But, When I went to the police station to file an FIR, the SHO lodged it under IPC 147, 149, 323, and 506. Unfortunately, these are… pic.twitter.com/UC2U4n1Gee

— Maxtern (@RealMaxtern) March 8, 2024

Here are some facts about YouTuber Maxtern:

– Born on November 24, 1998, Sagar Thakur is an entrepreneur, a real estate professional, a gamer, a content creator, and a traveller, according to his bio on X.

– He runs a YouTube channel where he uploads sarcastic and light-hearted videos, and a gaming channel focusing on gaming content, including gameplay commentary, live streams, and tips for popular games.

– He boasts a substantial online following, with 1.6 million subscribers on his main channel and 9.24K subscribers on his gaming channel, Maxtern.

– Sagar Thakur completed his engineering from IIT, Kharagpur.

– Sagar Thakur also has 934K followers on Instagram.

New Delhi:

Sagar Thakur, a YouTuber who goes by the name “Maxtern”, on Friday alleged that he was “brutally attacked” by Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav.

Mr Thakur, a resident of Delhi, posted a video message on his official X account and claimed that Elvish Yadav punched him in the face and also tried to “break his spine” during their late-night meeting in Gurugram.

“He also openly issued death threats to me,” Mr Thakur, who said he recorded the whole incident on camera, alleged.

“I couldn’t sleep the whole night as I was in pain,” he added.

Mr Thakur, who has over 16 lakh subscribers on YouTube, said if anything “unfortunate” happens to him in the future, then Elvish Yadav should be “held accountable”.

I was brutally attacked and assaulted by @ElvishYadav, who openly issued death threats to me. All the evidence is available on the internet. But, When I went to the police station to file an FIR, the SHO lodged it under IPC 147, 149, 323, and 506. Unfortunately, these are… pic.twitter.com/UC2U4n1Gee

— Maxtern (@RealMaxtern) March 8, 2024

He said that he has filed a case against Mr Yadav and urged Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar to arrest him at the earliest.

How Elvish Yadav vs Sagar Thakur Fight Began

The controversy between Elvish Yadav and Sagar Thakur began over the former’s picture with Bigg Boss winner Munawar Faruqui.

The fight started when the YouTuber commented on Mr Yadav’s meeting with Mr Faruqui.

“In the last few months, Elvish fan pages have been spreading hate and propaganda which made me distressed,” Mr Thakur said in his complaint.

He said that Elvish Yadav had asked to meet him on Friday and he accepted thinking it to be a “discussion”.

“When he came to the store – he and his 8-10 goons, who were drunk – started beating me and started using abusive language. Elvish Yadav tried to break my spine so that I would become physically disabled,” he said in his complaint.

Following the complaint, a case has been registered against Mr Yadav and others under sections 147 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC at Sector 53 Police Station on Friday evening, the police said.