New Delhi, Oct 16: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against YouTuber Elvish Yadav, rapper Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria, Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd., and its director Gurkaran Singh Dhaliwal, accusing them of money laundering linked to videos featuring protected wildlife species such as snakes and an iguana.
The prosecution complaint, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), alleges that the songs “32 Bore” on Fazilpuria’s channel and a vlog on Elvish Yadav’s channel showcased these protected animals, an offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
According to the ED, the revenue earned from these videos constitutes “proceeds of crime.” The agency stated that Fazilpuria received an advance payment of ₹50 lakh from Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd. for distributing “32 Bore,” and part of the amount was used in the production of the video itself.
As most of the funds have been spent, the ED has provisionally attached agricultural land worth ₹50 lakh belonging to the rapper. The agency further said that Sky Digital retained ₹1.24 lakh in lifetime revenue from the video, which has now been secured in a fixed deposit as proceeds of crime.
For Elvish Yadav, the ED found that his vlog featuring the protected species generated ₹84,000 in revenue, which has also been attached through a fixed deposit.
The chargesheet accuses all four—Fazilpuria, Elvish Yadav, Sky Digital, and Dhaliwal—of engaging in activities connected with the proceeds of crime, thereby committing the offence of money laundering under the PMLA. (Agencies)
