‘No contravention of law’: SC closes case against Vantara after SIT clean chit

The Supreme Court on Monday endorsed the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that cleared Vantara, a zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, of allegations of irregularities.

- MPOST BUREAU

The bench, comprising Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale, accepted the report, noting that “no contravention of law” had been established.

The SIT, constituted by the court on August 25, was headed by a former Supreme Court judge and included three other members. Its mandate was to examine allegations raised through public interest litigations (PILs), based on media reports, social media content, and complaints by NGOs and wildlife groups.

According to the report placed on record, the SIT conducted a detailed inquiry in coordination with several government agencies. It concluded that Vantara had not violated any provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, Central Zoo Authority (CZA) guidelines, the Customs Act, 1962, the Foreign Trade (Regulation and Development) Act, 1992, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

"The Court has no hesitation in accepting the conclusion so drawn in the report," the bench observed, adding that the complaints listed in the summary's Schedule A "stand closed." The court highlighted the SIT's findings that Vantara received animals primarily through rescue operations and conservation programmes, backed by statutory approvals and extensive documentation.