India, March 20 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed criminal proceedings against YouTuber Elvish Yadav in a case alleging use of snake venom in video shoots and involvement in drug-fuelled rave parties, holding that the FIR was legally unsustainable. At the same time, the court made it clear that its order does not amount to a clean chit, granting liberty to competent authorities to initiate separate proceedings under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

The bench of justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh confined its scrutiny to two specific questions - the applicability of provisions under the NDPS Act, 1985, and the validity of proceedings under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. On both counts, the court found the case, as presen...