In a significant move, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized properties belonging to YouTuber Elvish Yadav and singer Rahul Fazilpuriya in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into a money laundering case. Official sources confirmed that the properties were seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case is connected to the alleged use of snake venom in rave parties and the related financial transactions. Elvish Yadav has been questioned by the ED multiple times over the past months in connection with these incidents. The investigation gained momentum after an FIR was filed by the Noida Police, leading to charges under the PMLA.
In May, the ED registered a case against Yadav and others based on an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) district police. Singer Rahul Yadav, alias Rahul Fazilpuriya, who is linked to Elvish Yadav, was also questioned by the ED as part of the investigation.
Elvish Yadav was arrested by the Noida Police on March 17 for his suspected involvement in using snake venom as a drug at parties. He was charged under multiple sections, including the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The case also involves an FIR filed on November 3 last year by the NGO People for Animals (PFA), naming Elvish Yadav and five others. These five individuals, all snake charmers, were arrested in November and later released on bail. The arrest took place at a banquet hall in Noida, where five cobras, along with nine other snakes, were rescued.
While Elvish Yadav was not present at the banquet hall during the raid, police have continued to investigate his alleged role in using snake venom as a drug. The Noida Police filed a 1,200-page charge sheet in April, outlining charges related to snake smuggling, drug usage, and the organization of rave parties.
