In a significant relief to YouTuber Elvish Yadav, the Supreme Court has quashed criminal proceedings against him in the alleged snake venom and rave party case. The Court found serious procedural lapses under key laws, making the prosecution legally unsustainable.
Background of the Case
The case stemmed from allegations that Yadav used snakes and snake venom in videos and was linked to parties where prohibited substances were allegedly supplied. Charges were filed under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the Wildlife Protection Act.
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Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had refused to quash the proceedings, stating that the seriousness of allegations required a full trial.
A bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh focused on two key legal issues.
On the NDPS Act, the Court noted that the substance allegedly recovered from co-accused persons was not listed as a “psychotropic substance” under the law.
“The substance… does not come within the purview of a psychotropic substance… as it is not found in the Schedule,” the bench observed.
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The Court also pointed out that no recovery was made from Yadav himself and that the case relied largely on indirect allegations.
On the Wildlife Protection Act, the bench highlighted a mandatory legal requirement. It said that offences under this law can only be taken cognizance of through a complaint filed by an authorised officer, not through a regular FIR.
“This Court has reiterated the necessity of following such statutory mandates,” the bench said, referring to earlier judgments.
Holding that these legal requirements were not followed, the Supreme Court ruled that the FIR and subsequent proceedings could not stand.
“It is clear that the FIR registered cannot be sustained in the eyes of law,” the Court said while quashing the case.
However, the bench granted liberty to competent authorities to initiate fresh proceedings under the Wildlife Protection Act by following the proper legal procedure.
Case Title: Elvish Yadav @ Siddharth vs State of U.P.
Case Number: SLP (Crl) No. 11480/2025 (Diary No. 41238/2025)
