NEW DELHI— The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the FIR and all subsequent legal proceedings against popular YouTuber and reality TV star Elvish Yadav in the high-profile 2023 snake venom case. A Bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh ruled that the prosecution’s case could not be sustained in law due to significant procedural infirmities and the misapplication of statutory provisions.
The apex court’s decision effectively sets aside the chargesheet and the cognisance order of the trial court, providing major relief to the Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner, who was arrested in March 2024 following allegations of using snake venom as a recreational drug at rave parties in Noida.
Key Legal Findings
The Court’s ruling focused on three primary legal pillars that invalidated the Uttar Pradesh Police’s case:
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Wildlife (Protection) Act Lapses: The Bench noted that under Section 55 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, a court can only take cognisance of an offence if the complaint is filed by a “duly authorised officer.” In this case, the FIR was initiated by a private individual who was no longer an animal welfare officer at the time of filing, rendering the prosecution legally void from its inception.
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Inapplicability of NDPS Act: The Court observed that the liquid substance recovered from the co-accused—identified as anti-venom—does not fall under the list of prohibited or psychotropic substances prescribed in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act schedule. Since no narcotics were recovered from Yadav himself, the invocation of NDPS provisions was deemed unsustainable.
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Redundant IPC Charges: The Bench pointed out that the Indian Penal Code (IPC) offences listed in the Noida FIR were largely based on a separate earlier investigation in Gurugram. Given that a closure report had already been filed in that Gurugram case, the Court found no grounds to continue parallel proceedings in Noida.
Liberty for Fresh Proceedings
While quashing the current FIR, Justice M.M. Sundresh clarified that the Court was not providing a “clean chit” on the underlying facts. The Bench granted liberty to the competent authorities to initiate fresh proceedings against Yadav, provided they follow the correct legal procedure by filing a proper complaint through an authorised officer as mandated by the Wildlife Act.
“If a popular person is perceived to be using voiceless victims for publicity, it sends a very bad message to society. However, the law must be followed,” the Court remarked during the proceedings.
Background of the Case
The controversy began on November 22, 2023, when an FIR was registered at the Sector-49 Police Station in Noida following a sting operation by an animal welfare NGO. The chargesheet subsequently alleged that Yadav was involved in a criminal conspiracy to provide snake venom and snakes for entertainment and consumption at rave parties attended by foreigners.
Yadav had approached the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court refused to quash the proceedings in May 2025, terming the allegations a serious matter. The apex court had previously stayed the trial court proceedings on August 6, 2025, before delivering today’s final judgment.
