SNAKE VENOM CASE: ED REGISTERS MONEY LAUNDERING CASE AGAINST YOUTUBER ELVISH YADAV

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday initiated a money laundering case against popular social media influencer Elvish Yadav, stemming from an FIR filed by Noida Police last November. Earlier, Noida Police had arrested Yadav in connection with an alleged case of peddling snake venom.

Despite the charges, Yadav has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Noida Police have arrested a total of eight suspects in the case. Subsequently, a Noida court granted Yadav bail amid ongoing legal proceedings.

A senior official from the ED confirmed that the agency's Lucknow unit has initiated a case against Yadav and others under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) concerning the snake venom incident due to the substantial amount of money involved in the operation. The official stated that the team is likely to interrogate Yadav and other individuals implicated in the previous case.

On April 6, the Gautam Buddha Nagar police filed a 1,200-page chargesheet under the Wildlife Conservation Act against Yadav and seven others in relation to the incident, nearly six months after the initial FIR was lodged.

The chargesheet outlines the smuggling of snakes and the use of their venom at parties. It reveals Yadav's alleged communication with snake handlers, and the recovery of a poisonous snake along with 20 ml of krait snake venom from the party venue, according to news agencies.

While Yadav has vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as "baseless and false," police later retracted charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against him, citing an error on their part.

2024-05-04T04:55:06Z dg43tfdfdgfd