YouTubers Elvish Yadav, Faizalpuria’s properties seized in money laundering case
The agency alleged that Elvish Yadav and Fazilpuria illegally used protected species of snakes, exotic animals such as iguanas in making commercial music videos and vlogs to gain followers and earn money.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has seized assets worth over Rs 52 lakh of YouTuber Siddharth Yadav alias Elvish Yadav, his friend and singer Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria, and a company as part of a money laundering probe.
A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to confiscate agricultural land in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district and certain bank deposits of the three entities, the ED said in a statement.
The total value of the properties is Rs 52.49 lakh.
The agency alleged that Elvish Yadav and Fazilpuria “illegally used protected species of snakes, exotic animals such as iguanas in the creation of commercial music videos and vlogs with the objective of increasing the number of followers and earning money.” “These music videos were given to Sky Digital India Pvt Ltd and the videos were then uploaded on YouTube to generate revenue,” the agency said. It cited the Noida police FIR, saying these music videos and vlogs “committed cruelty” to wildlife.
The federal agency has questioned both Elvish and Fazilpuria in a case related to the suspected use of snake venom as recreational drugs at parties organised by them and related financial transactions. The central agency had registered a case in May and slapped charges under the PMLA after taking cognizance of two police FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) district police in Uttar Pradesh against Elvish Yadav and related persons.
