In a major relief for YouTuber Elvish Yadav, the Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the FIR and all subsequent proceedings against him in the snake venom case registered by Uttar Pradesh Police in 2023, The Hindu reported.
According to the report, a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh ruled that the case could not continue under law. The court observed that "the case cannot stand legally as the complaint under the Wildlife (Protection) Act was not filed by an authorised person."
The bench also examined the offences invoked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It noted that "the IPC charges mentioned in the FIR were based on an earlier FIR registered in Gurugram, where a closure report has already been filed". Referring to the provisions of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the court stated that these could not be applied in this case. It observed that "the liquid substance recovered from a co-accused, identified as anti-venom, does not fall under the scheduled substances listed under the NDPS Act."
According to The Hindu, citing earlier rulings, the court concluded that the case could not be sustained. It ordered that "the FIR and all subsequent proceedings, including the chargesheet and the trial court's cognisance order, are set aside."
The case was registered on November 22, 2023. Elvish Yadav was arrested on March 17, 2024, in connection with allegations of using snake venom at a rave party in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
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The report noted that Elvish Yadav had challenged an order of the Allahabad High Court, which had earlier refused to quash the chargesheet and the trial court's cognisance order, describing the matter as serious. On August 6 last year, the Supreme Court stayed the trial court proceedings in the case.
According to the chargesheet accessed by the newspaper, "snake venom was allegedly consumed as a recreational substance at 'rave' parties by individuals, including foreigners." During the hearing, the counsel for Elvish Yadav argued that "no snakes, narcotic substances, or psychotropic materials were recovered from him, and no direct link was established between him and the co-accused".
The counsel also stated that "the informant, who was no longer serving as an animal welfare officer, filed the complaint presenting himself in that capacity."
Highlighting the public profile of the accused, the counsel said that Elvish Yadav is a "well-known influencer" who appears in several reality television shows, and that his involvement in the case attracted "significant media attention."
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