The Supreme Court of India on Monday (September 15, 2025) said there was “no contravention of law” while accepting a clean chit given by its special investigation team to Vantara. Vantara is the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat’s Jamnagar founded by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation. A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale took the SIT’s report on record. They also noted the probe team’s satisfaction on the compliance and regulatory measures in Vantara.
On August 25, the Supreme Court had constituted a four-member SIT headed by a former apex court judge while hearing two Public Interest Litigation (PIL)s alleging irregularities against Vantara. These allegations were based on reports in the media and social media besides complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations, according to a PTI report.
Who led the SIT?
The former Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar led the SIT that was tasked with conducting a fact-finding inquiry into allegations raised by petitioner CR Jaya Sukin, according to ANI. The SIT comprised Justice Raghavendra Chauhan (former chief justice of the Uttarakhand and Telangana high courts), former Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale, and additional customs commissioner Anish Gupta.
What did SIT found in its findings?
In its findings, the SIT said that Vantara had not violated any provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, and CZA guidelines. According to the SIT report, Vantara has also not violated any provision of the Customs Act, 1962, Foreign Trade (Regulation and Development) Act, 1992 and Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999. As per the SIT report, Vantara has not violated the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Also read: ‘Fact-Finding Inquiry’: Supreme Court Forms SIT To Investigate Reliance-owned Vantara
