New Delhi, Oct 16 In a dramatic turn of events, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge-sheet implicating popular YouTuber Siddharth Yadav—better known as Elvish Yadav—and singer Rahul Yadav, alias Fazilpuria, in a money laundering case linked to the illegal use of protected wildlife in online content.
The charge-sheet, submitted on October 13 to a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Gurugram, names four accused: Elvish Yadav (28), Fazilpuria (35), Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd., and its director Gurkaran Singh Dhaliwal. The court has yet to take formal cognisance of the complaint.
According to the ED, Elvish Yadav allegedly earned Rs 84,000 from a 2023 YouTube video that showcased live snakes and an iguana - a species protected under Indian wildlife laws. The video, titled "Fazilpuria Bhai Ke Shoot Pe Russian Se Mulakat Ho Hi Gayi @fazilpuria", was uploaded on March 23, 2023, and is said to have violated provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Fazilpuria, meanwhile, is accused of producing a music video titled "32 BORE", which also featured protected reptiles. The ED claims he generated over ₹50 lakh in illicit earnings from the video. Sky Digital India, which managed and monetised Fazilpuria’s content, is alleged to have played a key role in distributing the videos for revenue generation.
As part of the probe, the ED has provisionally attached a Rs 50 lakh property belonging to Fazilpuria in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, and a fixed deposit of Rs 84,000 linked to Yadav.
The agency alleges that both individuals used exotic animals—including snakes and iguanas—in their content to boost online popularity and revenue, in clear violation of wildlife protection norms. The videos were monetised through Sky Digital India and published on YouTube. Both Yadav and Fazilpuria were interrogated at the ED’s Lucknow office.
The case stems from FIRs filed by police in Noida and Gurugram, with Yadav previously arrested by Noida police.
The ED’s charges are based on violations under the PMLA, NDPS Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and IPC. Yadav, who rose to fame after winning Bigg Boss OTT 2, now faces serious legal consequences that could overshadow his digital stardom.
--IANS
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