Supreme Court closes case against Reliance's wildlife rescue centre 'Vantara' after SIT clean chit

The Supreme Court on Monday closed a PIL against ‘Vantara’ (Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre) at Jamnagar, Gujarat, over allegations of violation of the Wildlife Protection Act and other statutes in acquisition of animals from India and abroad after a court-appointed SIT gave a clean chit to the Reliance Foundation-run organisation.

After perusing the SIT report submitted on Friday, a Bench of Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Punjab Varale said that authorities have expressed satisfaction on the issue of compliance and regulatory measures in Vantara. “Acquisition of animals...carried out in regulatory compliance,” Justice Mithal noted.

Headed by former Supreme Court Judge J Chelameswar, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) included former Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana High Court Justice Raghvendra Chauhan, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and IRS officer Additional Commissioner Customs Anish Gupta as its members.

Welcoming the court’s order, Team Vantara said, “The SIT report and the Supreme Court’s order have made it clear that the doubts and allegations raised against Vantara’s animal welfare mission were without any basis. The validation of the truth by the distinguished and widely respected members of the SIT is not just a relief for everyone at Vantara but also a blessing, because it allows our work to speak for itself.”

The top court had set up the SIT on August 25 while hearing two PILs, including one filed by advocate CR Jaya Sukin, who made widespread allegations against Vantara and statutory authorities and even courts.

Justice Mithal said that as per the SIT report, acquisition of animals was within the regulatory mechanism.

As the Bench said it would make the report a part of its order, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior counsel Harish Salve, representing Vantara, objected to it, saying a certain narrative was going on and publishing the report would allow more speculation than necessary.

“We are closing the matter and we are accepting the report…We are satisfied with the report of the Committee...Now, we have a report of an independent committee, they have gone through everything, and they have taken help from experts. Whatever they have submitted, we will go by that. And all authorities will be free to take actions based on recommendations and suggestions. We will not permit anyone to raise questions again and again,” the Bench said.

“The proceedings of the report of the SIT, i.e., its report and annexure including the pen drive be re-sealed and kept confidential but complete copy of the same be furnished to the respondent – Vantara, may be electronic copy of the same for its own use and record subject to an undertaking that it shall not be disclosed to third parties,” the top court ordered.

“The summary of the report which is exhaustive in itself as it does not carry comparable sensitivity or attract the same degree of confidentiality but provides a faithful account of the conclusions reached by the SIT, shall not be treated as confidential,” it said in its order.

“In terms of the recommendations contained in the summary and having regard to the exhaustive investigation conducted by the SIT aided by statutory enforcement agencies of the Central and the State, the complaints/petitions including newspaper reports, articles, catalogues as mentioned in Schedule A to the summary stand duly investigated and closed,” it said.

“No further complaint or proceedings based upon such the same set of allegations shall be entertained before any judicial statutory or administrative forum was to secure finality, obviate repetitive inquiries and investigation on issues concluded by the SIT,” it said.

The Bench directed Vantara and the authorities concerned to consider and implement the measures suggested by the SIT.

The top court left it to Vantara to pursue its remedies in accordance with law for the deletion of any offending publication or for any action against those responsible for the misinformation or for actions for defamation or private complaints under the BNS, 2023. If any such proceedings are initiated, they shall be dealt with on their own merits by the competent court/authority, it added.