The Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations against Vantara.
The directive followed concerns over wildlife law violations.
The apex court had quashed a public interest litigation in 2022 seeking SIT.
SIT will submit its report by September 12.
The Supreme Court on August 25, 2025 directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to assess the functioning of Vantara registered as Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.
The centre operated by the Reliance Foundation at Jamnagar, Gujarat came into scrutiny and multiple complaints in the media regarding its functioning and violations of various wildlife protection laws.
Non-governmental organisations and wildlife groups from different parts of the world have raised concerns about sourcing and handling of animals, including unique species.
In 2022, however, the SC had quashed a public interest litigation (PIL) on the same request of establishing an SIT.
A bench comprising justices Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B Varale directed the order while hearing a PIL filed by advocate CR Jaya Sukin, who made multiple allegations against the centre.
By definition, SIT is constituted to create a multi-disciplinary investigating agency which can effectively enquire and investigate cases relating to influential persons and public servants who misuse their high position or connection and indulge in commission of irregularities of serious nature and economic offences.
In March this year, the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa, a collaborative network representing the interest of animals in South Africa, raised concerns over high numbers of leopards, cheetahs, tigers and lions being exported to Vantara.
The group had flagged concerns with CITES about India’s potential non-compliance highlighted during its 77th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee(SC77) in November 2023 regarding the large amount of different live species of wild animals that are being imported by Vantara.
“The Secretariat has received information related to live animal imports into India, including specimens of critically endangered species included in CITES Appendix I,” read the letter submitted to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE); South African CITES Management Authority; Chair of the Scientific Authority South Africa T Frantz and the CITES Secretariat.
It also questioned the legality of transactions and the methods used to obtain CITES documents to rescue animals in difficult conditions.
Multiple organisations and their investigations pointed out concerns about the functioning of the zoo and practices adopted in sourcing the exotic species.
According to the annual report submitted by Vantara to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for the year 2023-24, the centre hosts 10,360 animals belonging to 345 species.
The bench observed, “We find that what has been presented through these petitions are only allegations with no material of probative worth. There appears to be no supporting material.”
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, the court said.
“Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to direct for constitution of an SIT of respectable persons of impeccable integrity and high repute having long public service,” the bench added.
The Supreme Court said the material presented make accusations of wide amplitude, such as unlawful acquisitions of animals from India and abroad, mistreatment of the animals in captivity, financial irregularities, money laundering, among others.
It added that such allegations are not limited to the private entity Vantara but also cast aspersions upon statutory authorities such as CZA, CITES and Courts.
The SIT will be chaired by former Supreme Court Judge Justice J Chelameswar, with members including Justice Raghvendra Chauhan (former Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana High Court), Hemant Nagrale IPS (Former Mumbai Police Commissioner) and Anish Gupta IRS ( Addl Commissioner Customs).
The objective of the SIT will be to determine acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants; compliance of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and rules for zoos made there under as per the provisions of CITES and compliance with import / export laws and other statutory requirements concerning imports / exports of live animals, the order said.
It added that the SIT would also probe “compliance with standards of animal husbandry, veterinary care, standards of animal welfare, mortalities and causes thereof, complaints regarding climatic conditions and allegations concerning location near an industrial zone, complaints regarding creation of a vanity or private collection, breeding, conservation programs and use of biodiversity resources, complaints regarding misutilisation of water and carbon credits".
The apex court has also ordered to investigate the breach of different provisions of law, trade in animals or animal articles, wildlife smuggling and other, as made in the articles / stories / complaints referred to in the petitions as well as generally; complaints regarding issues of financial compliance, money laundering etc and and other subjects.
The SIT is expected to submit a report regarding the matter by September 12 and the matter will be next heard on September 15.
On August 26, Vantara put out a statement acknowledging the court order and agreeing to cooperate with the investigation.