The ED has filed a chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against popular singer Fazilpuria (Rahul Yadav) and YouTuber Elvish Yadav. The investigating agency revealed that the two used protected wild animals, such as snakes and iguanas, in their videos, which violates the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
For the unversed, the entire case began with FIR No. 146, dated March 30, 2024, registered at the Badshahpur police station in Haryana. In this FIR, Elvish Yadav and Fazilpuria were charged under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Section 11A of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Use of wild animals in the '32 Bore' video
According to the ED investigation, the song '32 Bore' released on Fazilpuria's YouTube channel and the vlog 'Fazilpuria Bhai Ke Shoot Pe Russian Se Mulakat Ho Hi Gayi' posted on Elvish Yadav's channel featured live snakes and iguanas. A frame-by-frame examination clearly showed these creatures at several timestamps (between 0:50 and 3:04 minutes) in the video.
How much was earned from the video?
The investigation revealed that a total of USD 1,477.83 (approximately Rs 1,24,067) was earned from the video '32 Bore'. This amount was deposited into the account of M/s Sky Digital India Pvt Ltd - Fazilpuria's official digital distributor. The ED stated that this money is now held as a fixed deposit (FD) at the SBI Mohali branch.
Transaction worth lakhs of rupees
Gurkaran Singh Dhillon, director of Sky Digital, admitted in his statement that he had paid Fazilpuria Rs 50 lakh through banking channels. The investigation also revealed that this amount was used for the video's production costs and other expenses.
Elvish Yadav's earnings are also under scrutiny
The ED investigation found that Elvish Yadav's channel, "Elvish Yadav Vlogs," earned approximately Rs 84,000 from the video. This money was deposited into his ICICI Bank account, which received a total of ₹5.61 crore in YouTube earnings from Google. This Rs 84,000 has now been frozen as a fixed deposit.
ED actions and seized properties
The ED has attached three key properties in this case: Fazilpuria (Rahul Yadav) – agricultural land worth Rs 50 lakh (Bijnor, UP) has been seized; Digital Pvt. Ltd. – an FD of Rs 1.24 lakh; and Elvish Yadav – an FD of Rs 84,000.
According to the ED, the use of protected animals in the video is a "scheduled offense." The proceeds from this are considered "proceeds of crime." Fazilpuria, Elvish Yadav, and Sky Digital – all three – earned, kept, and used the proceeds of this crime. The ED said that a case has now been registered against them under Section 3 of the Money Laundering Act, which is a punishable offense under Section 4.
Also Read: Elvish Yadav snake venom case: Supreme Court stays court proceedings against the YouTuber
