Supreme Court declines fresh probe into Vantara animal imports, cites earlier green chit by SIT

The Supreme Court on May 27 refused to reopen a probe into international animal transfers to the Jamnagar facilities of Vantara, an animal rescue and rehabilitation facility managed by the Reliance Group. [Karanartham Viramah Foundation v. Union of India & Ors.].A division bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and NV Anjaria rejected a plea seeking a recall of the March 9, 2026 order and a fresh probe by agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other agencies into international wildlife transfers to Greens Zoological Rescue Centre and Radha Krishna Temple Trust and associated Khodiyar Animal Welfare Trust. .The applicant, Karanartham Viramah Foundation, relied on investigations and proceedings in Brazil, UAE, Uganda, Peru, Malaysia and Venezuela, as well as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat to press for renewed investigation, seizure and repatriation of animals, and takeover of the Jamnagar facility by the Union government..The Court held that all animal transfers up to September 2025 had already been examined by the Special Investigation Team, whose report was accepted on September 15, 2025 and reaffirmed on March 9, 2026. “In view of the SIT Report accepted by this court, the Greens Zoological and Radha Krishna Temple Trust, cannot be investigated, inquired into, much less prosecuted, in respect of the transfers therein examined, no direction can be issued to any domestic authority in respect of the specimens so transferred, and the matter cannot be reopened at the instance of any body, global or otherwise,” the Bench said calling it a ‘bar of finality’..The Court underlined that its constitutional jurisdiction does not exist to be the engine of perpetual re-agitation once a high-powered SIT has been constituted and its report brought to closure by judicial order. It also expressed concern that the fresh material consisted largely of newspaper and online articles and an allegation by inference is no allegation at all in the eyes of law..The Court also issued forward‑looking directions to the CITES Management Authority of India (CMA India) to strengthen India’s compliance framework for imports of listed species. It directed CMA India to establish a direct line of communication with the CITES Secretariat in Geneva and, through that channel, draft a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for issuing import permits for live specimens in consultation with and to the satisfaction of the Secretariat. Once prepared, the SOP has to be filed before the Supreme Court. The Court indicated that may scrutinise and, if necessary, refine India’s CITES enforcement architecture in a future hearing.The matter was kept pending for the same. .Senior advocate Santosh Paul and advocate Ankur Yadav appeared for the Foundation.Advocates Shardul Singh, Manish Tiwari, Prerna Gandhi, Sayali Sawant and Anish Shahpurkar appeared for Vantara.[Read Order]