YouTuber Elvish Yadav.
Credit: X/@ElvishYadav
Noida: The Noida Police has booked Bigg Boss winner Elvish Yadav and arrested five people for the alleged use of snake venom at rave parties, officials said on Friday.
Nine snakes, including cobras, were also rescued from the possession of those arrested, who had landed at a banquet hall in Sector 51 on Thursday for a party, which was a trap laid by animal rights group People for Animals (PFA), officials said.
Police seized 20 millilitres of snake venom stored in a plastic bottle from the possession of the accused and it has been sent for testing to ascertain if it is psychotropic in nature to induce a party drug-like effect in the human body.
An FIR was lodged under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and for criminal conspiracy following a complaint by Gaurav Gupta of PFA, run by BJP parliamentarian Maneka Gandhi, against six people, including Yadav, for partying at a banquet hall in Sector 51 where snake venom was made available, police said.
Gupta has claimed that Yadav, who is also a YouTuber and social media influencer, illegally organised rave parties and shot videos with live snakes and snake venom in Noida and other parts of the NCR with his associates.
Yadav could not be contacted immediately for his response.
According to a police spokesperson, 'Five people were arrested from the banquet hall and nine snakes were rescued from their possession'.
Those held have been identified as Rahul (32), Teetunath (45), Jaikaran (50), Narayan (50) and Ravinath (45), all residents of Moharband village in southeast Delhi's Badarpur, police said.
Divisional Forest Officer Pramod Kumar Srivastava said five cobras, two sand boas, one python and one rat snake -- all falling in the category of endangered species -- were rescued during the action.
'The charges framed in the case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act are stringent which are non-bailable and can attract a jail term of seven years. The snake venom seized from the accused has been sent for a lab test to ascertain its quality,' Srivastava told PTI, explaining the severity of the crime.
An official source said even in illegal acts like these, thugs often dupe party organisers and participants by providing them non-psychotropic substances in the name of snake venom.
The use of snake venom as a recreational drug is not a common practice in India and is considered extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening.
The use and possession of drugs, including substances derived from snake venom or any other controlled substances, are governed by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985.
A rave party is a vibrant, all-night EDM gathering with immersive music, lighting and a communal vibe. They're held in diverse locations, with farmhouses being a popular choice. In India, legal issues arise due to drug use, noise, safety, and public order violations, leading to government measures and bans on it.