The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned YouTuber Siddharth Yadav, also known as Elvish Yadav, for over 7 hours on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged use of snake venom as a recreational drug in parties he hosted.
Elvish Yadav, the winner of reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2, appeared before the ED’s Lucknow zonal office for questioning. The central agency had summoned him in the second week of July, but he sought a deferment due to his foreign travel plans and professional commitments.
The ED had registered a money laundering case against Elvish Yadav in May under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case was filed after the agency took cognizance of an FIR and charge sheet by the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) police in Uttar Pradesh against him and others.
The alleged generation of proceeds of crime and use of illicit funds for organizing rave parties are under the ED’s scanner. The agency is also scrutinizing Elvish Yadav’s bank account details and properties acquired by him.
In April, the Noida Police had filed a 1,200-page charge sheet in the case, including charges of snake trafficking, use of psychotropic substances, and organizing rave parties. The charges stemmed from an FIR lodged in November 2023 based on a complaint from an animal rights NGO.
The ED had earlier questioned Haryanvi singer Rahul Yadav alias Rahul Fazilpuria, a friend of Elvish Yadav, for over 10 hours in the same case. The singer was questioned about the alleged generation of proceeds of crime and the use of illicit funds for organizing rave parties.
The Gurugram police had also booked Elvish Yadav and Rahul Yadav for allegedly using rare species of snakes and a .32 bore pistol in a music video.
