ED chargesheet against Elvish Yadav, Fazilpuria for wildlife crimes, money laundering

The ED (Enforcement Directorate) has filed a chargesheet under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) against popular YouTuber Siddharth Yadav, also known as Elvish Yadav, singer Rahul Yadav aka Fazilpuria and two others, for allegedly laundering money earned through videos featuring protected wildlife species, official sources said.

The chargesheet was submitted on 13 October before a special PMLA court in Gurugram, Haryana, which has yet to take cognisance of the case.

The ED named Elvish Yadav, Fazilpuria, a company called Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd, and its director Gurkaran Singh Dhaliwal as accused. Fazilpuria's online content was managed and monetised by Sky Digital India.

The agency alleged that both Yadav and Fazilpuria used live snakes and an iguana (a protected lizard species) in their videos in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Specifically, the music video 32 Bore by Fazilpuria and the vlog 'Fazilpuria Bhai Ke Shoot Pe Russian Se Mulakat Ho Hi Gayi' on Elvish Yadav's channel featured these protected species unlawfully.

Yadav reportedly earned Rs 84,000 from monetising his vlog, while Fazilpuria generated over Rs 50 lakh, which the ED considers proceeds of crime.

The ED has provisionally attached assets, including agricultural land valued at Rs 50 lakh belonging to Fazilpuria in Uttar Pradesh, a fixed deposit of Rs 1.24 lakh owned by Sky Digital, and a fixed deposit of Rs 84,000 held by Elvish Yadav.

The case traces back to FIRs registered by Haryana Police and Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) Police, with Yadav previously arrested in connection with the wildlife crime. The chargesheet also cites violations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and Indian Penal Code.

The ED concluded that the defendants were "actively involved in one or more processes or activities connected with the proceeds of crime, including acquisition, possession, and use", thereby committing money laundering punishable under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA.​

This case highlights the use of protected wildlife in commercial content for profit generation and the significant legal consequences for violating wildlife conservation laws alongside financial crime statutes.

With PTI inputs