Institute of Legal and Management Studies

The Supreme Court ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to inquire into the affairs of Vantara (Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre) run by the Reliance Foundation at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The SIT has to inquiry into, among other things, the compliance with the provisions of the Wildlfie Protection Act and other relevant statutes in the acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particulary elephants.

The SIT will be headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice J Chelameswar.

Justice Raghvendra Chauhan (former Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana High Court), Mr.Hemant Nagrale IPS (Former Mumbai Police Commissioner), Mr.Anish Gupta IRS( Addl Commissioner Customs) are the other members of the SIT.

A bench comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Prasanna B Varale passed the order while hearing a PIL filed Advocate CR Jaya Sukin, who made widespread allegations against the functioning of the Centre.

The bench observed that the petition only made allegations without any supporting material, and ordinarily, such a petition should not be entertained. At the same time, the Court added : "However, in the wake of the allegations that the statutory authorities or the Courts are either unwilling or incapable of discharging their mandate, more particularly in the absence of verification of correctness of the factual situation, we consider it appropriate in the ends of justice to call for an independent factual appraisal which may establish the violation, as alleged, if any. 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 mandate of the SIT :

The SIT shall examine and submit report inter alia 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 SIT should be assisted fully by the Central Zoo Authority, the CITES Management Authority, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the State of Gujarat, including its Forest and Police Departments.

The Court clarified that the order should not be petitions nor this order be construed to have cast any doubt on the functioning of any of the statutory authorities or 'Vantara'. The Court stated that it has not expressed anything on the merits of the allegations and that the SIT inquiry is only a fact-finding exercise.

The SIT was directed to submit the report by September 12, 2025.

Case : C R Jaya Sukin v Union of India

Citation : 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 835

Click here to read the order