Gurugram Police issue notice to YouTuber Elvish Yadav to join investigation

A purported video of the assault has surfaced on social media and demand of Yadav’s arrest was trending on X

Updated on: Mar 11, 2024, 05:38:12 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram Police has issued a notice to YouTuber Elvish Yadav to join investigation in connection to a case in which a Delhi-based content creator, Sagar Thakur, alleged that he was assaulted by Yadav at a shopping mall in Gurugram’s Sector 53 area on Friday, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

Gurugram Police has issued a notice to YouTuber Elvish Yadav to join a probe in connection with a case in which a Delhi-based content creator, Sagar Thakur, alleged that he was assaulted by Yadav at a shopping mall in Gurugram’s Sector 53. (ANI Photo)

A purported video of the assault has surfaced on social media, and demand of Yadav’s arrest was trending on X on Saturday. Meanwhile, Yadav shared a video on social media platforms and purportedly claimed that the entire incident was pre-planned by Thakur.

On Saturday, he also went live on X and presented his version of the controversy centering around the assault.

“Ever since I went to Bigg Boss, you will see their tweets against me on X. For eight months, he (Thakur) has been harassing me... Thakur made a statement, ‘I will burn you and your family members alive.’ I just couldn’t bear it and that’s why I used some derogatory words. He called me to meet him at his friend’s shop, where he had the complete set-up of the camera. This was pre-planned,” Yadav purportedly said in the video.

The video purportedly showed him saying that he has full faith in the state chief minister and Gurugram Police and is ready to cooperate in the investigation in every way, and also apologised for his act.

Meanwhile, the Gurugram Police has issued a notice under section 40A of Code of Criminal Procedure to Yadav. “We have issued a notice to Yadav and asked him to join the investigation. Further action will be taken as per law,” said inspector Rajender Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Sector 53 police station in Gurugram.

Thakur, who goes by the name Maxtern on YouTube, alleged that he is well-known content creator specialising in gaming entertainment, actively producing content on YouTube since 2017. He has over 1.6 millions subscribers on YouTube, and 850,000 followers on Instagram and 240,000 followers on X, and knew Yadav since 2021.

“In the last few months, Elvish Fan Pages spread hate and propaganda that made me distressed, and consulted an NGO for counselling. Yadav asked me to meet him, and I thought it would be a verbal discussion. When he came to the store along with his eight to 10 friends, who were in an inebriated state, he started hitting me and used abusive language. Yadav tried to break my spine to make me physically disabled. The incident took place around 12.30 am on Friday,” Thakur said.

A first information report was registered against Elvish and his accomplices under sections 147 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 53 police station on Friday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More