The Enforcement Directorate said on Friday initial investigation revealed that Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria and Elvish Yadav illegally used protected species of snakes and exotic animals, such as iguanas, in the production of commercial music video and vlogs "for the purpose of increasing the followers and generating money".
"Further findings showed that these music videos were given to Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd., and then the videos were then uploaded to the YouTube platform, for generating revenue," the Enforcement Directorate was quoted by ANI as saying.
The financial probe agency said it identified the Proceeds of Crime linked to this activity and attached both movable and immovable properties belonging to Rahul Yadav, Elvish Yadav and Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd. “Further investigation is under progress,” the Directorate of Enforcement said.
The Enforcement Directorate's Zonal Office provisionally attached properties worth ₹52.49 Lakh under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the “Wildlife case”.
"The attached properties are in the form of agriculture land in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh and bank balances belonging to Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria, Elvish Yadav and Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd," the Enforcement Directorate said.
Both Elvish and Fazilpuriya were earlier questioned by the federal agency in a case related to suspected use of snake venom as recreational drugs in parties hosted by them and related financial transactions.
The central agency had registered a case in May and pressed charges under the PMLA after taking cognisance of two police FIRs and a charge sheet filed against Elvish Yadav and linked persons by the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) district police in Uttar Pradesh.
Elvish was arrested on March 17 by the Noida police in connection with its probe into suspected use of snake venom as a recreational drug in parties that were allegedly hosted by him. He was booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by the Noida police.
Elvish was among the six people named in the FIR lodged at Noida's Sector 49 police station on November 3 last year on a complaint from a representative of animal rights NGO People for Animals (PFA).
In April, the Noida police filed an over 1,200-page charge sheet in the case. The charges included snake trafficking, use of psychotropic substances and organising rave parties, police had said.
(With inputs from agencies)
