Lucknow, Sep 5 (IANS): YouTuber Elvish Yadav (26) on Thursday underwent extensive interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its Lucknow headquarters which lasted for approximately eight hours.
The questioning covered various topics, including details about rave parties, supply of snake venom, their sources etc.
ED officials grilled him about where snake venom was served at rave parties, the organisers of such parties, and the individuals associated with Elvish Yadav, a controversial YouTuber who won the reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2 in 2023.
The ED also questioned Yadav about his contacts, his properties, luxury vehicles, and bank accounts, and seized his cellphone for review.
The officials examined all footage, videos, contacts, and chats from Yadav's mobile phone during the inquiry. After more than eight hours of grilling, Yadav departed from the ED headquarters.
The probe agency filed a case against Yadav under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act in May this year in connection with supplying snake venom at rave parties considering the significant amount of money involved in the racket.
The ED action was based on an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) district police which arrested Yadav on March 17.
The arrest was linked to an investigation into the alleged use of snake venom as a recreational drug at parties purportedly hosted by Yadav.
Yadav was charged under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He was first named in an FIR registered at the Sector 49 police station in Noida on November 3 last year, following a complaint lodged by animal rights NGO People for Animals (PFA).
The FIR also included five other accused -- all snake charmers -- who were arrested in November last year, who were later granted bail by a local court.
The five individuals were apprehended from a banquet hall in Noida on November 3, from where nine snakes, including five cobras, were rescued, along with the seizure of 20 ml of suspected snake venom.