On Monday, the Allahabad High Court rejected YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s petition challenging the chargesheet and ongoing criminal proceedings against him in the alleged snake venom case.

The chargesheet, filed in connection with the case, accuses several individuals — including foreign nationals — of using snake venom as a recreational drug at rave parties.

Justice Saurabh Srivastava dismissed Yadav’s plea after examining the contents of the FIR and the chargesheet, observing that the truthfulness of the allegations must be determined during the trial.

Appearing on behalf of Yadav, senior advocate Navin Sinha and advocate Nipun Singh contended that the individual who lodged the FIR was not authorized to do so under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They further submitted that Yadav was not present at the party in question, which allegedly occurred in Noida, and that no contraband or illegal items were recovered from him.

The counsel maintained that no snakes, narcotic drugs, or psychotropic substances were found in Yadav’s possession, nor was any direct link established between him and the co-accused. They also alleged that the informant falsely identified himself as an Animal Welfare Officer, despite no longer holding that position.

Highlighting Yadav’s status as a prominent social media influencer and television personality, the defence argued that the FIR attracted significant media coverage, which allegedly influenced the police to sensationalise the case. As a result, they claimed, the authorities invoked Sections 27 and 27A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act — provisions related to the consumption of narcotics and the financing or harbouring of offenders — immediately after Yadav's arrest in March last year. However, they noted that these charges were later dropped due to lack of supporting evidence.

Opposing the plea, Additional Advocate General Manish Goel stated that the investigation had revealed Yadav’s role in supplying snakes to individuals from whom illegal substances were recovered.