The Supreme Court has stayed the trial court proceedings in the case against YouTuber Elvish Yadav related to the misuse of snakes and venom. It has also issued notices to the UP government and the complainant. Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had dismissed his petition.
Elvish Yadav: YouTuber and influencer Elvish Yadav, who has gained popularity on social media, has received major relief from the Supreme Court. The court has stayed, for the time being, the criminal proceedings in the lower court against him in the alleged snake venom misuse and rave party case. Simultaneously, the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant, seeking their response. This decision comes after Elvish Yadav filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the chargesheet filed in the Ghaziabad court and the entire criminal procedure.
What is the whole matter?
Elvish Yadav is accused of using wild snakes and their venom while creating YouTube videos and organizing rave parties. The FIR stated that Yadav allegedly attracted people to such parties by inviting foreign nationals and using drugs and venom. In this case, an FIR was registered against him under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, the NDPS Act, and the IPC. After investigation, the Ghaziabad police filed a chargesheet against Yadav in court.
Setback from High Court, Relief from Supreme Court
Earlier, in May 2025, the bench of Justice Saurabh Srivastava of the Allahabad High Court dismissed Elvish Yadav's petition in which he had sought the quashing of the chargesheet. The court made an oral remark stating that there is sufficient evidence and statements of witnesses in the FIR and chargesheet, which will be examined during the trial.
The High Court had also said that since Elvish Yadav has not challenged the FIR, a direct stay cannot be imposed on the chargesheet. In contrast, the Supreme Court has now intervened in the matter by temporarily staying the proceedings of the trial court and directing the UP government to file a reply.
YouTuber's Side
In the petition filed on behalf of Elvish Yadav, it has been stated that the allegations leveled against him are baseless and false. He claims that he has never used any type of snake or consumed venom, nor have any illegal activities been conducted in any of the programs organized by him. Yadav's lawyer argued that this whole matter is a conspiracy to gain publicity and damage his image. He requested the court to quash the chargesheet and the proceedings of the trial court.
Supreme Court seeks reply
Hearing the petition, the bench of Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice C. T. Ravikumar issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant, asking them to file their replies within four weeks. The court said that this matter holds reasonable seriousness and requires a detailed hearing. Until the next hearing of the case, the ongoing process in the Ghaziabad trial court will remain stayed.
Subject of discussion on social media
After this matter came to light, a tremendous debate has erupted on social media. While Elvish Yadav's fans are calling the Supreme Court's decision a victory of justice, on the other hand, environmental and animal rights activists are demanding strict action, considering such content a violation of forest laws. Some experts believe that social media influencers should also understand their ethical and legal responsibilities along with their popularity, as their content directly impacts the youth.
