Travel influencer Anunay Sood, 32, died on November 4 of fentanyl and ethanol toxicity in a room at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. His death followed shortly after he was seen in surveillance footage riding in a hotel elevator with his fiancée, Shivani Parihar, and a friend, Meher Chahal.
According to an indictment, Parihar and Chahal approached Thamrong Hill, 49, on the casino floor around 5 a.m. and asked to purchase what they believed to be cocaine. Parihar testified that they asked Hill if he knew anyone who could sell them "party poppers." Hill allegedly offered to sell them "the best cocaine." After some negotiation, Parihar paid Hill $40 for a small bag of drugs. Sood, who had withdrawn the cash from an ATM for the purchase, then joined Parihar and Chahal in the elevator with the drugs.
Sood, who was from Dubai and had traveled to Las Vegas on October 28 to create content, reportedly told Parihar and Chahal on November 3 that he wanted to "obtain and use drugs before traveling back home." Chahal later testified that the substance appeared "very fine, white" and resembled sugar, raising suspicions that it was not cocaine. Despite these concerns, Sood allegedly prepared and snorted the drug using a rolled-up bill.
Parihar testified that the trio had been drinking and partying. After Sood ingested the drug, he reportedly said something was wrong. He then allegedly placed some of the substance on his finger and rubbed it on Parihar's gums. Both women later testified to passing out. Upon waking, they found Sood unresponsive with blue lips and appearing to have difficulty breathing.
Paramedics were called to the hotel room, but Sood could not be revived. The coroner's office ruled his death an accident caused by fentanyl and ethanol toxicity. Investigators confiscated the bag of drugs, which tested positive for fentanyl. A bag of ketamine was also found in an adjoining room, though authorities did not believe it belonged to Sood or his companions.
Sood was a prominent social media personality known for his travel, car, and adventure content. He had amassed 1.4 million followers on Instagram and over 390,000 subscribers on YouTube. He had produced content in 46 countries and was recognized by Forbes India as a top digital star in recent years. Wealth calculators estimated his net worth at approximately $1.2 million at the time of his death.
Hill was arrested on November 23 after law enforcement used facial recognition technology and cell phone records to connect him to the drug transaction. He was subsequently indicted by a Clark County grand jury on charges including second-degree murder and drug-related offenses. Hill pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a controlled substance in January and received a 364-day jail sentence. He has prior convictions for robbery and the use of a deadly weapon. Hill is scheduled for arraignment, and his plea in the current case is unknown.