Elvish Yadav Snake Venom Case: The Supreme Court of India has cancelled the FIR and all related legal proceedings against YouTuber Elvish Yadav in the widely discussed snake venom case. The case, which was originally filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2023 under the Wildlife Protection Act, has now been brought to a close following the court’s ruling.
A bench of the Supreme Court observed that the complaint could not be legally sustained as it was not filed by an authorised individual. This technical issue formed the basis for cancelling the FIR, chargesheet, and trial court proceedings. The court also clarified that the charges under the Indian Penal Code were linked to a separate FIR registered in Gurugram, which had already been closed earlier. Importantly, the court noted that the provisions of the NDPS Act were not applicable in this case. It stated that the liquid substance allegedly recovered during the investigation did not qualify as a “scheduled drug” under the law. This finding further weakened the case against Yadav.
The case dates back to November 22, 2023, when an FIR was registered alleging that snake venom was being used as a recreational substance at rave parties in Noida. Elvish Yadav was later arrested on March 17, 2024, in connection with these allegations. The chargesheet had claimed that such parties were attended by both Indian and foreign nationals.
However, during the legal proceedings, Yadav’s counsel argued that no snakes, drugs, or illegal substances were recovered from him. The defence also maintained that there was no direct evidence linking him to the alleged activities or to the co-accused individuals. Another key argument raised was that the informant who filed the complaint was not an authorised animal welfare officer and had allegedly misrepresented their identity.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had already paused the trial court proceedings in August last year. Now, with this latest ruling, the court has fully set aside the case, including the Allahabad High Court’s earlier decision that had refused to quash the charges.
Elvish Yadav, who gained massive popularity after winning Bigg Boss OTT 2, had faced significant public and media scrutiny due to the allegations. With the Supreme Court’s decision, the legal chapter in this case has now come to an end.