Supreme Court Quashes Elvish Yadav's Snake Venom Case

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed criminal proceedings against Elvish Yadav, a noted YouTuber and winner of Big Boss OTT, over accusations related to the smuggling and consumption of snake venom. This legal relief came after Justices MM Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh identified significant procedural lapses in the filing of the complaint and subsequent FIR.

The panel highlighted that the foundational complaint and FIR were unsustainable in legal terms and subsequently decided not to delve deeper into other raised issues. This decision follows Yadav's appeal to the Supreme Court, where he sought the quashing of the chargesheet and corresponding summons.

In an earlier ruling in May, the Allahabad High Court had rejected Yadav's plea, arguing the necessity of meticulous legal scrutiny given the multiple FIRs tied to the case. The FIR charged Yadav under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, IPC, and NDPS Act. Yadav contested the legitimacy of the charges, especially pointing out that the informant lacked authority under the Wildlife Protection Act, and stated that no illicit substances were discovered in his possession.

In the backdrop of Yadav's career as a prominent television personality, the case had seized considerable media spotlight. Yadav's defense noted that this public attention may have intensified the actions of police officials, who swiftly invoked additional sections of the NDPS Act post-arrest, seemingly to heighten the case's sensitivity.