YouTuber, influencer and Bigg Boss OTT2 winner Elvish Yadav and five of his associates were allegedly booked after 20 ml of snake venom, 9 poisonous snakes were recovered from their possession which they used during rave parties.  According to People for Animals (PFA), nine snakes, including five cobra, one python and one two-headed snake, one rat snake were recovered from their possession of those arrested, who had landed at a banquet hall in Sector 51 Noida on Thursday for a party. The snake venom was taken by people attending the rave parties that also hosted foreign nationals, it's alleged.

Meanwhile, Elvish took to social media to refute the charges against him, dubbing them "baseless, fake and not even one per cent true"."I am ready to fully cooperate with the UP police. I also request the UP police, administration and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that if my involvement is found, I will take full responsibility," Elvish said, adding he has nothing to do with the case.

Police seized 20 millilitres of snake venom stored in a plastic bottle from the possession of the accused and it has been sent for testing to ascertain if it is psychotropic in nature to induce a party drug-like effect in the human body. According to a police spokesperson, "Five people were arrested from the banquet hall and nine snakes were rescued from their possession". Those held have been identified as Rahul (32), Teetunath (45), Jaikaran (50), Narayan (50) and Ravinath (45), all residents of Moharband village in southeast Delhi's Badarpur, police said.

An FIR was lodged under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and for criminal conspiracy following a complaint by Gaurav Gupta of PFA, run by BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, against six people, including Elvish Yadav, for partying at the banquet hall where snake venom was made available, police said.

Divisional Forest Officer Pramod Kumar Srivastava said five cobras, two sand boas, one python and one rat snake -- all falling in the category of endangered species -- were rescued during the action.

"The charges framed in the case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act are stringent which are non-bailable and can attract a jail term of seven years.

The snake venom seized from the accused has been sent for a lab test to ascertain its quality," Srivastava said, explaining the severity of the crime.

The complainants to Noida Police said that they had information that Elvish Yadav shot videos with snake venom and live snakes in his Noida farmhouse and organised "illegal" rave parties where foreign girls are regularly invited.

According to the complaint, a person from the NGO then approached Elvish Yadav and asked him to get some cobra venom. Elvish reportedly gave the details of his agent and provided his phone number.

On being contacted, the agent agreed to provide snake and snake venom and five people – Rahul, Titunath, Jayakaran, Narayan, Ravinath -- reached the spot of the decoy party. The NGO people then informed the police and the five persons who brought snakes and snake venom were handed over to the police. They apparently named Elvish.

Delhi Women Commission chief Swati Maliwal reacted to the news of FIR and posted a photo of Elvish Yadav with Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. "The CM of Haryana promotes this man from the platform. On one hand, talents like @SakshiMalik, @BajrangPunia are beaten on the streets and the Haryana government promotes such people. In its videos you will find obscene comments on girls and abusive language. Leaders can do anything for votes…," Swati Maliwal tweeted.