Elvish Yadav snake venom case: Supreme Court stays court proceedings against the YouTuber

The Supreme Court has ordered an interim stay in legal proceedings against Elvish Yadav. ‘The Bigg Boss’ star was booked for his alleged involvement in a rave party where snake venom and other illegal drugs were supplied and consumed.

A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant Gaurav Gupta after Yadav challenged the criminal proceedings. The case has been tagged with another pending matter before the Supreme Court, scheduled for further hearing on August 29, 2025. Meanwhile, the stay will remain operative.

What is the Elvish Yadav case?

Elvish was arrested on March 17 by Noida Police for allegedly providing snake venom at a suspected rave party in Noida. The YouTuber was sent to 14-day judicial custody. However, he was granted bail by a local court five days later.

On April 6, the Gautam Buddh Nagar police filed a 1,200-page chargesheet under the Wildlife Conservation Act against Yadav and seven others in connection with the case, almost six months after the FIR was registered. The chargesheet described how snakes were smuggled and how their venom was used at the parties.

In May, the Allahabad High Court, led by Justice Saurabh Srivastava, dismissed Elvish Yadav’s plea to quash the chargesheet and summons. He had challenged proceedings over the alleged use of snake venom and the organisation of rave parties. The Court clarified that the factual issues and allegations contained in the FIR and chargesheet were matters best resolved at the trial stage, and that Yadav did not challenge the FIR itself, only the chargesheet.

The defence arguments included:

• The informant was not a valid Animal Welfare Officer under the Wildlife Protection Act when filing the FIR.
• No snakes, narcotics, or psychotropic substances were recovered from Yadav, and no link to the co‑accused was established.

In response, the prosecution alleged that Yadav had supplied snakes, and party attendees were found consuming snake venom and drugs. The High Court also emphasised that public popularity or influencer status is not a basis for legal immunity.

What does this mean for Elvish?

Trial court proceedings are currently suspended until the Supreme Court hears the case later in August 2025. The Allahabad High Court’s order stands pending resolution at the trial level, unless the Supreme Court grants relief on procedural or legal grounds.