The Supreme Court declined to de-tag Elvish Yadav’s plea to quash the snake venom case from the complainant’s police protection plea. Both matters will continue to be heard together, with replies to the State’s counter due before the next hearing.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday heard YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT winner Elvish Yadav’s plea to quash the criminal case filed against him in connection with the alleged use of snake venom at a rave party.
The case, which has attracted significant public and media attention, was listed before a bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma.
Along with Elvish Yadav’s petition, the Supreme Court also took up a related plea filed by the original complainant in the matter, who sought police protection. The complainant told the court that after filing the complaint, he had started receiving threats and was therefore fearing for his safety.
During the hearing, the bench noted that both matters—the plea filed by Yadav and the one filed by the complainant—were connected.
Counsel appearing in the case pointed out that there were technical differences in how the petitions were numbered, mentioning “68, 68.1 vs 68.2.” On that basis, the lawyers requested the court to separate the two matters.
However, the Supreme Court firmly declined this request. The court said it would continue to hear both matters together and refused to de-tag the petitions.
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The bench made it clear that the linked hearing would proceed in this manner. Lawyers were also directed to ensure that replies to the counter affidavit filed by the State of Uttar Pradesh are submitted before the next date of hearing.
Background
The controversy around Elvish Yadav began in November 2023, when the Noida Police registered an FIR under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The case was based on a complaint by activist Saurabh Gupta, who alleged that snake venom was being supplied and consumed at a party linked to Yadav.
Shortly after the FIR, Yadav was arrested but later released on bail. The case gathered major public attention, not only because of the allegations involving snake venom—considered both illegal under wildlife laws and dangerous to health—but also due to Yadav’s fame as a social media influencer with millions of followers.
The complainant has since claimed that filing the complaint has put his safety at risk, as he allegedly received threats. On the other hand, Yadav has consistently maintained that he is innocent and has been falsely implicated to damage his reputation.
The case has seen multiple hearings in lower courts, with the matter finally reaching the Supreme Court, where Yadav seeks to quash the FIR entirely, while the complainant presses for protection and continuation of the investigation.
Read Live Coverage:
Case Title:
SAURABH GUPTA AND ANR. v. STATE OF U.P. AND ORS.
SLP (Crl) No. 8733/2025.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Elvish Yadav
