• Source:JND
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Elvish Yadav, an Instagram influencer and Big Boss OTT winner was arrested by Noida police on Sunday on the charges of supplying snake venom to the rave parties in Noida and Gurugram. The YouTuber-influencer was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court in the city, where, he has reportedly confessed to the crime, said NDTV. Earlier booked under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the 26-year-old controversial social media star now faces charges under the NDPS act.

Elvish Yadav snake venom case-

The case against Elvish pertains to the use of snake venom as a drug, used for fun and recreation. Along with the charges of providing snake venom in his Noida rave parties, Yadav is also alleged to have provided the snakes for making videos and reels. It was after an NGO -- People For Animal -- related to BJP MP Meneka Gandhi reported the incident, that Noida police busted a snake-venom-supplying gang in November 2023. Five offenders, including four snake charmers, were apprehended by the police, who later revealed the name of Elvish Yadav in the case.

The samples seized from the arrested individuals in the party were sent to the IFSL lab, which confirmed the use of Krait and Cobra venom in them. The whole episode also sparked curiosity about the use of snake venom as a psychotropic drug.

Snake venom addiction explained

The use of snake venom as a recreational drug is a lesser-known form of substance abuse in India. In this practice, people intentionally expose themselves to the use of snake venom to get intoxicated. The long form of alpha-neurotoxins present in the venom induces this intoxication. According to a paper published in Pub Med scientific journal, the use of snake venom as an intoxicant might give the user a feeling of euphoric rush for a short period, but it can be dangerous as well. The effect lasts for weeks and can give rise to serious post-intake symptoms.

Known as ophidism, this type of addiction can be life-threatening as the effects of snake venom are unpredictable. The long-term use of snake venom can also give rise to a severe addiction, said another paper.

Apart from the physiological and psychological implications, the use of such drugs would land the user in trouble as it is banned under the jurisdiction of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985.