Snake venom case: Supreme Court halts trial court proceedings against Elvish Yadav

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim relief to YouTuber Elvish Yadav by staying all trial court proceedings against him in the high-profile snake venom case. A bench led by JusticeMMSundresh, accompanied by Justice Joymalya Bagchi, also issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and complainant Gaurav Gupta, directing them to respond to Yadav’s plea.

Yadav had approached the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court, on May12,2025, dismissed his petition seeking to quash both the FIR and chargesheet against him.

The High Court had held that the allegations—including misuse of snakes and snake venom in YouTube videos and organising rave parties where intoxicating substances were provided—needed detailed examination during trial, and noted he had not challenged the FIR itself.

In his petition, filed through Advocates Shahrukh Ali, Raman Yadav, and Aman Jha, Yadav challenged the FIR’s legal validity. He argued the complaint was lodged by an individual no longer holding the position of Animal Welfare Officer, and thus lacked competence under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Further, the petition states that "no recovery—whether of snakes, venom, or narcotics—has been made from or in connection with him," and that he was not even present at the venue when the alleged offences occurred.

Yadav’s counsel contended that the charges under the NDPS Act were added without proper compliance, and that the case appeared to be sensationalised due to his public profile.

The prosecution, however, insisted that Yadav had supplied snakes to individuals from whom recovery was made, and that a prima-facie case had been established.

THE CASE AGAINST ELVISH YADAV

The case dates back to a complaint lodged in November 2023 by members of the NGO People For Animals, who accused Elvish Yadav of organising rave parties where snake venom was used as a recreational intoxicant. In a subsequent police raid at a banquet hall in Noida, nine snakes (including cobras and kraits) and around 20ml of snake venom were seized.

Yadav was arrested on March 17, 2024, based on the FIR filed under several sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, sections 284 and 289 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section120A (criminal conspiracy), and multiple provisions of the NDPS Act.

He was remanded for 14 days but released on bail shortly after. The chargesheet filed in April 2024 spanned over 1,200 pages and included allegations of exotic snake smuggling, the involvement of foreign nationals in consuming venom, and links to rave events.

With the Supreme Court’s stay in place, all proceedings before the trial court are paused for now. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 29, when responses are sought from the state and the complainant.

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