Snake venom case: Elvish Yadav transferred to a high-security cell
What's the story
YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner, Elvish Yadav, has been relocated from an isolation unit to a high-security cell following his arrest in the snake venom case, according to a report by India TV. The Noida Police have invoked Section 29 of the NDPS Act against Yadav due to his alleged participation in a drug scheme. The shift occurred as the probe into the case deepened, with two more suspects taken into custody. Yadav was arrested on Sunday.
Arrests in rave party case
Arrested suspects hail from Haryana
Police have detained two more suspects, named Ishwar and Vinay, both Haryana residents. Some reports claimed that Yadav hasn't confessed to the crime yet. An Indian Express report quoted a police source as saying, "During questioning, Yadav did not accept the crime...but we have a lot of evidence." "For him, it was to make a statement that he's got 'swag' or 'bhaukaal.' He wanted to paint a picture among his fans as someone who is completely unafraid of law-enforcement agencies..."
Legal team's response
Yadav's legal team called his arrest 'unlawful'
Yadav's legal counsel has reportedly contended that the YouTuber was "unlawfully detained" and arrested. According to his attorney, Prashant Rathi, Yadav was summoned for interrogation as a witness but was incorrectly marked as arrested. Rathi also mentioned that no contraband under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) was found on Yadav and highlighted that the complaint against him was lodged by an NGO member, which breaches WPA rules.
Police statement
Police rejected claims of unlawful arrest
Responding to the allegations raised by Yadav's legal team, Vidyasagar Mishra, deputy commissioner of police, Noida, stated that the police would address these assertions in court. Mishra confirmed that all procedures were executed lawfully without any infringement. Yadav is presently under 14 days of judicial custody.
His source of income
His parents claimed his earnings came from YouTube
In a recent interview with Aaj Tak, Yadav's parents revealed that their son's main income stream is his YouTube channel and online merchandise sales. The disclosure comes amid an ongoing inquiry into Yadav's supposed involvement in providing snake venom for leisure use at rave parties. The 26-year-old YouTuber could be looking at up to twenty years behind bars without bail if found guilty of negligent handling of poison that endangers human safety.