Popular YouTuber and television personality Elvish Yadav was on Sunday arrested by the Noida Police in a case linked to the use of snake venom as a recreational drug at a party last year.
He was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court. Later, the police revealed why the controversial celebrity was arrested. Noida DCP Vidya Sagar Mishra said that Elvish Yadav was called for questioning on Sunday afternoon but he wasn’t cooperating. The police officer claimed the Gurugram resident had been hiding information.
“Elvish Yadav was called for questioning today in a case pertaining to the Wildlife Protection Act. It was found that he was hiding information during the interrogation,” the officer said. He said he was produced before the court by enhancing the sections of the NDPS Act in the case.
“A case under Wild Life Protection Act-1972, was filed (against Elvish Yadav and others). Today he was called for interrogation and was produced before the court by enhancing the sections of the NDPS Act in the said case,” he added.
Elvish Yadav was among six people named in the FIR, filed at Sector 49 police station on November 3. Except Yadav, all the other accused were arrested and are out on bail. The case was lodged under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and for criminal conspiracy under section 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
The snake venom case was later shifted from Sector 49 to Sector 20 police station for investigation. “The accused has been arrested by a team of Sector 20 police station which was investigating the case,” Additional DCP (Noida) Manish Mishra told PTI.
Elvish Yadav had refuted the charges.
All you need to know the snake venom case
People For Animals (PFA) was the original complainant in the case.
On November 3, five people were arrested at a banquet hall in Sector 51. Nine snakes, including five cobras, were rescued from their possession. Snake venom’s vials were also recovered.
Elvish Yadav had claimed he was not present at the party.
PFA chairperson and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi, however, had accused Elvish Yadav of being involved in illegally selling snake venom.