The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Elvish Yadav, a popular YouTuber, to appear in Lucknow on 23 July for questioning in connection with a money laundering case tied to the snake venom-rave party scandal.
This development follows the case initially registered by the Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) police, senior ED officials revealed.
In May this year, the ED took action by filing a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, considering the large sums of money involved in the illicit snake venom racket.
Yadav’s troubles began earlier when authorities arrested him on March 17 and placed him in 14-day judicial custody.
However, he secured bail from a local court five days later.
The senior ED official stated that the Lucknow unit summoned Yadav after he cited an overseas tour and expressed his inability to attend the initial questioning session scheduled for 8 July.
The official noted that they granted Yadav flexibility, and he is now likely to appear later this month.
Adding to the complexity of the case, Yadav’s close associate, Haryana singer Rahul Yadav, known as Fazilpuria, underwent extensive questioning at the ED’s Lucknow office on Monday.
Authorities probed Fazilpuria regarding his use of a snake in one of his well-known songs.
Additionally, two other associates of Yadav, Ishwar Yadav and Vinay Yadav, have previously been questioned in relation to the case.
Yadav Faces Wildlife Charges; Narcotics Charges Retracted
The saga traces back to April 6, when the Gautam Buddha Nagar police submitted a 1,200-page chargesheet under the Wildlife Conservation Act against Yadav and seven others, almost six months after filing the initial FIR.
The comprehensive chargesheet details the smuggling operations and the usage of snake venom at the illicit parties.
Despite the evidence, Yadav has consistently denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and fake.”
The police later retracted charges filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against him, admitting it was an error on their part.
As the investigation continues, all eyes will be on Yadav’s forthcoming appearance before the ED, which could shed more light on the intricate details of the snake venom-rave party case and the broader money laundering operation linked to it.
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