New Delhi: Reliance Foundation’s zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre, Vantara, said it will extend “full cooperation” to the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to inquire into allegations of non-compliance of laws and acquisition of animals from India and abroad.
The previous day, the apex court gave the direction in view of Vantara’s allegations of non-compliance with laws and acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants.
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The court was hearing two PILs that alleged irregularities at Vantara on the basis of reports in the media and social media and diverse complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations.
The court said, “Considering the sweep of the allegations made in the petitions, inviting a counter from the private respondent or any other party would not have served much purpose.”
The apex court, however, clarified that the order neither expresses any opinion on the allegations made in the petitions nor can it be construed to have cast any doubt on the functioning of any of the statutory authorities or the private respondent — Vantara.
The court said the SIT shall examine and submit its report on the acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants, compliance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act and rules for zoos made thereunder, the International Convention on Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), the import-export laws and other statutory requirements concerning the import and export of live animals.
The bench said the SIT will also look into the compliance with standards of animal husbandry, veterinary care, standards of animal welfare, mortalities and causes thereof, complaints regarding climatic conditions and allegations concerning location near an industrial zone, complaints regarding the creation of a vanity or private collection, breeding, conservation programmes and use of biodiversity resources and regarding allegations of a breach of different legal provisions, trade in animals or animal articles, wildlife smuggling etc. as made in the articles, stories and complaints referred to in the petitions as well as generally.
The court added that the panel would also look into complaints regarding issues of financial compliance, money laundering and regarding any other subject, issue or matter germane to the allegations made in these petitions.
The bench said the SIT will conduct the fact-finding inquiry forthwith and submit the report, uninfluenced by any observations made, by September 12.
“Once the report is so submitted, the petitions will be listed on September 15, 2025, to consider the said report and if necessary, to pass any further order, otherwise the petitions stand disposed of, as above,” the bench said.
The SIT will be headed by former apex court judge J Chelameswar along with Justice (retired) Raghavendra Chauhan (former chief justice of the Uttarakhand and Telangana high courts), former Mumbai commissioner of police Hemant Nagrale and former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Anish Gupta.
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