YouTuber Elvish Yadav gets Rs 10-crore extortion threat, sender linked to Lawrence Bishnoi gang, probe launched: Cops
In his complaint at the Sector-56 police station in Gurgaon, Yadav alleged that he had initially missed a WhatsApp call from an international number before receiving threats via text messages on WhatsApp.
Yadav and his father, according to police sources, allegedly received threatening messages on WhatsApp on May 5 (Photo: Elvish Yadav/Instagram) An investigation has been launched after YouTuber Elvish Yadav received an extortion threat of Rs 10 crore last week, officers said on Sunday, adding that the sender allegedly claimed to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
In his complaint at the Sector-56 police station in Gurgaon, Yadav alleged that he had initially missed a WhatsApp call from an international number before receiving threats via text messages on WhatsApp.
Yadav and his father, according to police sources, allegedly received threatening messages on WhatsApp on May 5. The sender, who identified himself as one Randeep Malik, allegedly demanded the sum within two days and threatened to shoot the 28-year-old if the payment was not made.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered Saturday under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch, which is currently working to trace the origin of the international number and verify the authenticity of the threat, said officers.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Yadav’s father Ram Avtar said, “I am currently at home in my native village (in Rajasthan’s Alwar). These calls are not a new thing for him, but I will check on him and ask him about it now that police proceedings have started.”
The YouTuber has received threats in the past as well. Last year, on August 17, three masked men riding a motorcycle fired more than two dozen rounds outside Yadav’s home in Sector 57 of Gurgaon. While Yadav was absent, the bullets struck the first floor and the stilt area of the three-storey building where his family resides.
Hours after the incident, the Himanshu Bhau gang claimed responsibility for the attack via an Instagram post, alleging that Yadav was targeted for promoting betting platforms. Expressing distress following that shootout, Yadav’s father had told The Indian Express, “If we were outside (on the balcony) at that time, we could have lost our lives. We do not have any kind of enmity with anyone and neither have we received any call or message before this.”
The Delhi Police Special Cell and Haryana Police subsequently made multiple arrests in connection with the shooting, nabbing shooters and logistics persons allegedly linked to the Neeraj Faridpuria–Himanshu Bhau syndicate.
He has also been targeted by extortionists. In October 2023, the Gurgaon police in coordination with the Gujarat Police arrested a 25-year-old RTO agent from Vadnagar in Gurgaon for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 1 crore from Yadav.
Yadav had later claimed on a podcast that the accused eventually tried to negotiate the extortion amount down. “He then said I have a discount for you,” Yadav had recalled, noting that the demand was dropped to around Rs 40 lakh because the culprit admitted that he merely wanted the funds to buy a Ford Endeavour.
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