Elvish Yadav has been asked to appear before the NCW on Monday. (File)

The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) has lodged a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against social media influencer Elvish Yadav for his “derogatory and racial” comments on Chum Darang, an actor and ‘Bigg Boss 18’ finalist, officials said on Tuesday.

APSCW Chairperson Kenjum Pakam, in a letter to the National Commission for Women (NCW), alleged that social media influencer Elvish Yadav in a recent viral video made derogatory and racial comments on Miss Chum Darang, former Miss Arunachal and Big Boss contestant on Social Media.

Elvish Yadav’s comment not only insults Chum Darang but the entire women’s society of northeast India, the APSCW chief said.

“Elvish Yadav’s comment on social media tarnished the reputation of Chum Darang in particular and women of North East in general. Such behaviour and derogatory comments create a pervasive sense of fear and intimidation amongst women of the northeast who are pursuing their dreams in the film industry of Bollywood making them vulnerable and marginalised,” the letter said.

APSCW Chairperson in the letter to NCW expressing concern for such a situation, requested the national body to take suo-motu cognisance against Elvish Yadav for his racial comment and bring justice to Chum Darang and the sentiment of the society.

Reacting to the podcast, Chum Darang said on Instagram: “Disrespecting someone’s identity and name is not ‘fun’. Mocking someone’s achievements is not “banter”. It’s time we draw the line between humour and hate.”

She slammed Elvish Yadav for mocking her accomplishments. “What’s even more disappointing is that this wasn’t just about my ethnicity. My hard work and a film backed by a visionary like Sanjay Leela Bhansali were also disrespected,” she added.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is now on a tour of Singapore to invite investors to the Advantage Assam 2.0 business summit on February 25 and 26, said in a post on the X: “Guwahati police has registered an FIR against certain Youtubers and social Influencers. They are Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Mukhija, Ranveer Allahabadia, and Samay Raina and others for promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion in a show titled ‘India’s Got Latent’.”

The Chief Minister said that the Guwahati Crime Branch has registered a case under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023, IT Act, 2000, Cinematograph Act 1952 and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act,1986.

An investigation is currently underway, CM Sarma said.

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An FIR has been registered against YouTuber Elvish Yadav here for threatening a witness in the Noida rave party case, police said on Tuesday.

The case was lodged following the orders for registration of an FIR by Additional Civil Judge Pratibha on January 24.

Saurabh Gupta, a functionary of People For Animal (PFA) and a witness in this case, alleged that on May 10, 2024, Yadav and his supporters came in several vehicles to his society in Raj Nagar Extension and threatened him. Gupta claimed he had complained about this to Nandgram police but no FIR was registered.

Thereafter he filed an application in the court demanding registration of a case.

Saurabh Gupta’s brother Gaurav had filed a complaint against Yadav for supplying snake venom at the rave party in November 2023.

Saurabh alleged that since the case was registered in Noida, Yadav has nurtured a grudge against both the brothers and their family members.

He alleged that Yadav is trying to implicate both the brothers in a false case or kill them by causing an accident.

Yadav is also constantly threatening us through social media everyday, he claimed.

SHO of Nandgram police station Dharmpal Singh on Tuesday told PTI that the case was registered under section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC on Monday night and investigation is underway.

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Lucknow:

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 52 lakh of YouTuber Siddharth Yadav alias Elvish Yadav, his friend and singer Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuriya and a company as part of a money laundering investigation.

A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued to attach agricultural land in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh and some bank deposits of the three entities, the ED said in a statement.

The total value of the assets is Rs 52.49 lakh.

The agency alleged that Elvish Yadav and Fazilpuriya “illegally used protected species of snakes, exotic animals, such as iguanas, in the production of commercial music videos and vlogs for the purpose of increasing followers and generating money.” “These music videos were given to Sky Digital India Pvt Ltd, and then the videos were uploaded to YouTube for generating revenue,” it said.

It quoted a Noida police FIR to say that these music videos and vlogs caused “cruelty” to the wildlife.

Both Elvish and Fazilpuriya have been questioned by the federal agency in a case related to the suspected use of snake venom as recreational drugs in parties hosted by them and related financial transactions.

The central agency had registered a case in May and pressed charges under the PMLA after taking cognisance of two police FIRs and a charge sheet filed against Elvish Yadav and linked persons by the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) district police in Uttar Pradesh.

Elvish was arrested on March 17 by the Noida police in connection with its probe into the suspected use of snake venom as a recreational drug in parties that were allegedly hosted by him.

The controversial YouTuber, also the winner of the reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2, was booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by the Noida police.

Elvish was among the six people named in the FIR lodged at Noida’s Sector 49 police station on November 3 last year on a complaint from a representative of animal rights NGO People for Animals (PFA).

Five other accused, all snake charmers, were arrested in November and they were later given bail by a local court.

These snake charmers were arrested from a banquet hall in Noida on November 3 last year and nine snakes, including five cobras, were rescued from their possession, while 20 ml of suspected snake venom was also seized.

However, police had said Elvish was not present at the banquet hall and they were probing his role in the case that allegedly involved the use of snake venom as a recreational drug.

In April, the Noida police filed an over 1,200-page charge sheet in the case. The charges included snake trafficking, use of psychotropic substances and organising rave parties, police had said. 

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.