Hyderabad: Popular Telugu comedian Venu Madhav, known for his rib-tickling performances in films like 'Chatrapati' and 'Sye,' died here on Wednesday.

He was 51.

Venu Madhav, who has been suffering from multiple ailments, including chronic liver cirrhosis, breathed his last at 12.21 am at a private hospital here, hospital sources said.

Madhav, also anacclaimed mimicry artist,made his debut in the movie 'Sampradayam.' Recalling his association with Venu Madhav, veteran comedian Ali said the former acted in more than 600 films.

Expressing grief over the demise of Venu Madhav, TDP Chief and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu said the departed actor had liking for the party and its founder N T Rama Rao a lot.

His mimicry performance at TDP's party conclave 'Mahanadu' had won appreciation from late NTR, Naidu said. Venu Madhav's demise is a great loss to TDP and the Telugu film industry, he said.

Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao,state Congress president and MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy, actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kumar and several other leaders condoled the death of Venu Madhav.

Venu Madhav had a great fan following, Rao said. Venu Madhav, who belongs to Kodad in Suryapet district, is a pride of Telangana, Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

Pawan Kalyan recollected that he had acted with Madhav in several films. "He (Madhav) has a very good sense of timing as a comedian," Kalyan, younger brother of Megastar Chiranjeevi, said in a release.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed an FIR and subsequent proceedings against YouTuber Elvish Yadav under the Wildlife (Protection) Act in the snake venom case registered by Uttar Pradesh Police in 2023.

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh said the case cannot be sustained in law as the complaint under the Wildlife (Protection) Act was not filed by an authorised person.

It said that offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) invoked in the FIR against Yadav were based on an earlier FIR registered in Gurugram, in which a closure report has been filed.

Referring to the provisions of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substance Act (NDPS) Act invoked in the FIR against Yadav, the bench said these cannot be invoked as the liquid substance (anti-venom) recovered from the co-accused was not a prescribed substance under the schedule.

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It referred to the earlier decisions of the court and said that the case against Yadav cannot be sustained in law, quashing the FIR and subsequent proceedings, including filing of the chargesheet and cognisance order of the trial court.

The case against Yadav was registered on November 22, 2023, and he was arrested on March 17, 2024, for the alleged use of snake venom at a rave party in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The controversial YouTuber challenged an Allahabad High Court order refusing to quash the chargesheet and the cognisance order of the trial court, terming it a serious offence.

On August 6 last year, the apex court stayed proceedings in the trial court against Yadav in the case.

The chargesheet alleged the consumption of snake venom as a recreational drug at "rave" parties by people, including foreigners.

Yadav's counsel had argued in the high court that no snakes, narcotics or psychotropic substances were recovered from him and no causal link was established between the applicant and the co-accused.

Though the informant was no longer an animal welfare officer, he filed the FIR showing himself to be one, the counsel had added.

Calling Yadav a "well-known influencer" and someone who appears in multiple reality shows on television, the counsel had said his involvement in the FIR garnered "much media attention".