Noida: The Enforcement Directorate has initiated a money laundering investigation against Bigg Boss OTT winner and popular YouTuber, Elvish Yadav, in connection with allegations of using snake venom at parties, according to officials.
The probe, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), follows an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Noida police against Elvish Yadav and others implicated in the snake venom case.
Authorities will scrutinize financial transactions related to the alleged supply of snake venom at various venues, including upscale hotels, clubs, resorts, and farmhouses in the Delhi-NCR region. Elvish Yadav is expected to be summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate soon.
Last November, the PFA organization lodged an FIR against six individuals, including Elvish Yadav, for purportedly distributing snake venom suspected to be used as a recreational substance at a rave party in Noida. Subsequently, Elvish Yadav and five others were arrested on charges under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Section 120A (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Elvish Yadav was granted bail by the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Court five days after his arrest.
On April 6, the Noida police filed a 1200-page charge sheet against Elvish Yadav and seven others, detailing allegations ranging from snake smuggling to organizing rave parties. The charge sheet alleged that Elvish Yadav had liaised with snake charmers and that a poisonous snake, along with 20 milliliters of venom from the Krait species, was recovered from the location.
The case has drawn significant attention, given Elvish Yadav’s prominence as a YouTuber and his victory in the Bigg Boss OTT competition.
The Enforcement Directorate’s intervention marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings surrounding the snake venom case, underscoring the gravity of the allegations against Elvish Yadav and his associates.
