Big Relief for Vantara: Supreme Court SIT Gives Clean Chit in Animal Probe
New Delhi: The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has given a clean chit to Vantara, the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale took the SIT’s report on record, noting that authorities were satisfied with Vantara’s compliance and regulatory practices. The report, filed on Friday, was reviewed by the apex court on Monday, with the bench stating a detailed order would follow.
The SIT was constituted on August 25 after allegations surfaced regarding alleged non-compliance of wildlife laws and the acquisition of animals, particularly elephants, from India and abroad. The four-member SIT was headed by a former Supreme Court judge.
The probe originated from two PILs filed on the basis of media reports, social media discussions, and complaints from NGOs and wildlife groups. Earlier, on August 14, the court had termed one of the petitions by C. R. Jaya Sukin—seeking return of captive elephants held at Vantara—as “completely vague.”
With the SIT’s findings now in hand, the top court is set to issue a detailed order on the matter.
