India, Feb. 18 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday underscored the stringent safeguards under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to examine the nature of permissions claimed by YouTuber Elvish Yadav and his associates in a case alleging misuse of snakes and snake venom.

A bench of justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh said that the primary concern before it was whether any lawful permission existed for the use of snakes in a video shoot, and if so, whether such permission could ever extend to the extraction of venom.

"We will send a very bad message outside if a person like you, who is otherwise popular, is allowed to use a hapless victim which is voiceless," observed the bench, stressing that wildlife...