Supreme Court sets up SIT headed by Justice Chelameswar to probe Ambani's Vantara

The Supreme Court on Monday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into allegations against Reliance Foundation-owned Vantara Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The SIT will be headed by retired top court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar and also comprises former Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana High Court Justice Raghavendra Chauhan, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Anish Gupta.

The order to constitute the SIT was passed by Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Prasanna B Varale on writ petitions accusing Vantara of unlawful acquisition of animals from India and abroad, mistreatment of the animals in captivity, financial irregularities and money laundering.

The Court noted that the petitions were based solely on news reports, social media inputs and complaints by NGOs, with “no material of probative worth.”

However, since the accusations also extended to statutory bodies like the Central Zoo Authority and CITES, the Bench opined that an independent appraisal was required “to ascertain the true factual position.”

"Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to direct for constitution of a Special Investigation Team (‘SIT’) of respectable persons of impeccable integrity and high repute having long public service,” the Court ordered.

The SIT has been directed to examine and submit report on the following:

(a) acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants;

(b) compliance of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and rules for zoos made thereunder;

(c) International Convention on Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and compliance with import/export laws and other statutory requirements concerning imports/exports of live animals;

(d) compliance with standards of animal husbandry, veterinary care, standards of animal welfare, mortalities and causes thereof;

(e) complaints regarding climatic conditions and allegations concerning location near an industrial zone;

(f) complaints regarding creation of a vanity or private collection, breeding, conservation programs and use of biodiversity resources;

(g) complaints regarding misutilisation of water and carbon credits;

(h) complaints regarding allegations of breach of different provisions of law, trade in animals or animal articles, wildlife smuggling etc. as made in the articles/stories/complaints referred to in the petitions as well as generally;

(i) complaints regarding issues of financial compliance, money laundering etc.

(j) complaints regarding any other subject, issue or matter germane to the allegations made in these Petitions.

The Court directed that the Central Zoo Authority, the CITES Management Authority, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the State of Gujarat will extend full assistance to SIT.

The SIT shall carry out a physical verification and inspection of the centre of Vantara as well, as per the court order.

"The SIT based on its findings shall also give its opinion on any action necessary and the manner in which such action may be directed by this Court," the Court ordered.

The SIT is to submit its report by September 12. The matter has been listed for further consideration on September 15.

Vantara was founded by Anant Mukesh Ambani and is animal rescue, care, and rehabilitation initiative of the Reliance Foundation. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

In the order passed today, the Court clarified that SIT has been permitted only to assist the Court as a fact finding inquiry so as to ascertain the true factual position and to enable the Court to pass any further order, as may be deemed fit on the basis of the material furnished and contained in the report.

"However, this order neither expresses any opinion on the allegations made in the petitions nor this order be construed to have cast any doubt on the functioning of any of the statutory authorities or the private respondent-‘Vantara’," it added.

[Read Order]