Bulging-eyed travel influencer suffered horrific death shortly after this video showed him standing in elevator of luxury Vegas hotel

By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:12, 25 June 2026 | Updated: 15:29, 25 June 2026 Eerie surveillance video shows a wide-eyed travel influencer in the elevator of a luxury Las Vegas hotel shortly after he purchased illegal drugs that would kill him. Anunay Sood, 32, traveled to the Nevada hotspot on October 28 last year to generate content for his social media pages. Sood, who lived in Dubai, was found dead from fentanyl and ethanol toxicity in a room at the Wynn hotel on November 4, according to an indictment obtained by KLAS. Surveillance cameras on the casino floor captured the moment Sood's fiancee, Shivani Parihar, and a female friend, Meher Chahal, purchased what they believed to be cocaine from Thamrong Hill. The women approached Hill, 49, at a slot machine around 5am on the day of Sood's death and asked him if he knew anyone who could sell them 'party poppers.' Parihar is later seen with Sood at an ATM, where the influencer withdrew $40 to pay for the drugs. Parihar then handed the cash to Hill 'very discreetly' and he gave her a small baggie of drugs. A surveillance camera in the hotel elevator showed Sood, Parihar and Chahal riding up to their rooms with the drugs in tow. Sood is staring directly at the camera. Eerie surveillance video shows travel blogger Anunay Sood riding in an elevator at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel on November 4 last year with his fiancee, Shivani Parihar, and a female friend, Meher Chahal, just minutes after they purchased illegal drugs that would kill him Parihar and Chahal purchased what they believed to be cocaine from Thamrong Hill after approaching him on the casino floor at around 5am. The drugs Hill sold them were actually fentanyl Sood, 32, traveled to Las Vegas on October 28 last year to generate content for his social media pages. He had been attending the Concours convention at the Wynn Sood, who was born in India, told Parihar and Chahal on November 3 that he wanted to 'obtain and use drugs before traveling back home,' the court filing said. The two women approached Hill, whom they did not know, the next morning about purchasing cocaine. He allegedly told them he had 'the best cocaine,' Parihar testified before a Clark County grand jury earlier this month, according to court records. She claims he first requested $50 for the drugs, before saying he would accept 'whatever you have.' Parihar offered him $40. 'So when I got the cash, Anunay went again to the side to get it, and he said I be waiting for you,' she told investigators. 'I went to [Hill], and he took out the packet from his pouch, and he hid it on the table like very discreetly, and I give the cash, and we all three then went upstairs.'  Chahal, however, testified that she thought the purchase was suspicious.  She said the alleged cocaine looked 'very fine, white' and resembled 'sugar.' She claims she told Sood the drugs didn't look right, but he took them anyway. He is said to have cut the drugs with a card from his wallet and snorted them with a rolled up $100 bill. Parihar and Sood during their trip to Las Vegas last year Parihar testified that the trio had been partying since the night before and were 'already drunk' when Sood took the drugs. 'When he ingested and he said — Anunay said that something is wrong…something is…and I said let's don't do it, and he was like just try once…' she recalled, the filings said. He put the drugs on his finger and then rubbed them on Parihar's gums, she testified. She and Chahal passed out and when they woke up, they found Sood on the ground, unresponsive and with blue lips. They claim he was 'breathing heavy' and 'flopping around.' Paramedics were called to the hotel room, but Sood was beyond resuscitation. Parihar and Chahal, who were vomiting profusely, were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Investigators confiscated the bag of drugs from the room. The substance tested positive for fentanyl, the court record said.  A bag of ketamine, which authorities do not believe belonged to the influencer or his companions, was found under a chair cushion the adjoining room. Officers also found beer cans, champagne bottles, the rolled up bill and residue of three 'lines' on the table in that room. The county coroner ruled that Sood's death was an accident caused by fentanyl and ethanol toxicity.  Sood rose to internet fame over his passion for cars, travel and adventure. He amassed a following of 1.4 million on Instagram and more than 390,000 subscribers on YouTube His net worth was estimated to be $1.2 million at the time of his death Sood rose to internet fame over his passion for cars, travel and adventure.  He amassed a following of 1.4 million on Instagram and more than 390,000 subscribers on YouTube. He has produced travel content across 46 countries and was named among Forbes India Top 100 Digital Stars in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Wealth calculator websites estimate that his net worth was approximately $1.2 million at the time of his death. After his passing, Sood's family released a statement on his Instagram account. It read: 'It is with deep sadness that we share the news of our beloved Anunay Sood's passing. 'We kindly ask for your understanding and privacy as we navigate this difficult time. We humbly request you to avoid gathering crowd near personal property. 'Please keep his family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. May his soul rest in peace.' His family shared a video tribute with photos from his childhood to the page on February 8 this year, marking what would have been his 33rd birthday.  Sood has produced travel content across 46 countries and was named among Forbes India Top 100 Digital Stars in 2022, 2023 and 2024 Hill was arrested on November 23 after facial recognition technology, analysis of cell phone records and other evidence connected him to the case. He was later indicted by a Clark County grand jury on second-degree murder and drug charges. Hill is due back in court for his arraignment today, according to Clark County inmate custody records reviewed by the Daily Mail. It is unclear how he will plead in the case.  The 49-year-old was sentenced to 364 days in jail in January this year after he pled guilty to an attempted possession of a controlled substance charge. He received two consecutive 15-year sentences in 2006 after pleading guilty to robbery and use of a deadly weapon or tear gas in the commission of a crime. Hill also pled guilty to four counts of robbery in 1997, court records show, and received a two-to-seven-year sentence. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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