Snake venom case: Chargesheet filed against 8 including YouTuber Elvish Yadav

The main evidence in the chargesheet is the report from Forensic Science Laboratory report of the snake venom that police seized from the alleged party

Noida: The Noida Police has submitted the chargesheet in the snake venom case against eight accused, including YouTuber Elvish Yadav, at the District Court in Greater Noida, officers informed on Saturday.

The chargesheet frames charges against Yadav and seven others on allegations ranging from snake smuggling, using snake venom as psychotropic substance, to organising rave parties. (Praveen Kumar/HT Photo)

According to deputy commissioner of police (Noida) Vidyasagar Mishra, the investigation into the case is being carried out by the Sector 20 police station team.

“After gathering enough evidence against all the accused arrested and named in the case so far, a chargesheet was submitted at the District Court in Surajpur, Greater Noida on Friday,” he said.

The officer said that 24 witnesses have been enlisted in the chargesheet by the police and evidence has been submitted on how Yadav was in touch with the snake handlers who provided the snake and their venom to him for parties.

He said the main evidence in the chargesheet is the report from Forensic Science Laboratory report of the snake venom that police seized from the alleged party.

“Comments of toxicology experts have also been submitted in the chargesheet as evidence to show how Yadav was in contact with the snake handlers who provided snakes and snake venom for the psychotropic usage for rave parties,” said the DCP.

“Further, 24 witnesses have been enlisted in the chargesheet, as well as other physical and electronic evidence gathered by the investigating team against the accused,” he added.

According to Shakti Avasthy, deputy commissioner of police (crime), the chargesheet frames charges against Yadav and seven others on allegations ranging from snake smuggling, using snake venom as psychotropic substance, to organising rave parties.

The chargesheet is at least 1200-pages long, as several Supreme Court judgements have been also attached in it as evidence for use of snake venom as a psychotropic substance, the officer said.

“The expert comments in the chargesheet also verify how snake venom is used as a psychotropic substance and hence why the charges under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act justify,” Avasthy added.

On November 3 last year, (Elvish) Yadav and five others were booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 49 police station for allegedly supplying snake venom to party revellers, allegedly for recreational use.

The five others, who were arrested on November 3, were released on bail on November 22, 2023.

On March 17, the 26-year-old Elvish, a resident of Wazirabad village in Gurugram, was arrested by the Noida Police in connection with a probe into the case. He was sent to 14-day judicial custody by the local magistrate court.

Charges under the NDPS Act, and sections 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substances) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) of the Indian Penal Code were added to the existing FIR by the police following a forensic report of 20ml liquid, suspected to be snake venom, recovered from the said party.

On March 20, his two associates – Ishwar and Vinay Yadav – were also arrested by the Noida Police in connection with the case.

Five days after being in judicial custody, Yadav was granted bail by the Gautam Budh Nagar district court on March 22, on furnishing two sureties of ₹50,000 each. On March 23, Yadav, as well as Ishwar and Vinay Yadav, were released from the district jail in Greater Noida’s Luksar.