Supreme Court clears Vantara of all charges after exhaustive SIT probe

Three weeks after constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of animal smuggling and welfare violations at Vantara, Reliance Foundation’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, the Supreme Court on September 15 gave the facility a clean chit.

Accepting the SIT’s “exhaustive investigation,” a bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale ruled that no contraventions of law had been found and ordered all complaints closed. To ensure “finality,” the court further directed that no judicial, statutory, or administrative forum may entertain petitions on the same charges.

The SIT, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar, examined every aspect of the controversy — from animal acquisition and smuggling allegations to welfare, conservation, breeding, and financial improprieties — with inputs from central and state agencies including the CBI, ED, Customs, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and Central Zoo Authority. Its report concluded that Vantara had complied with, and in many respects exceeded, statutory and international benchmarks.

Citing certifications such as the Global Humane Certified Seal of Approval, as well as repeated inspections by the Central Zoo Authority and Gujarat’s Chief Wildlife Warden, the court said allegations of deficiencies in animal care were “unfounded.”

“This validation is not just a relief but a blessing, because it allows our work to speak for itself,” Vantara said in a statement welcoming the verdict.

The Court also cautioned against attempts to “rake up unnecessary allegations” against what it described as facilities that should be regarded as a “pride of the country.”