New Delhi : The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the affairs of Vantara has given a clean chit to the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. Vantara is in strict compliance with laws.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale took the report on record and noted that authorities have expressed satisfaction on the issue of compliance and regulatory measures in Vantara. The report was submitted on Friday and the top court perused it on Monday. The top court constituted the SIT on August 25 to conduct a fact-finding inquiry against Vantara, in view of allegations of non-compliance with laws and acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants.
The top court constituted the four-member SIT headed by a former apex court judge while hearing two PILs alleging irregularities against Vantara on the basis of reports in the media and social media and diverse complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations. On August 14, the top court described as “completely vague” the plea filed by petitioner C R Jaya Sukin seeking to get a monitoring committee formed to return the captive elephants in Vantara to their owners.
Sukin said that “one by one, temple elephants are being taken away. The SC responded: “If the acquisition of elephants is done according to law and all provisions are followed, there is no issue. General statements like this cannot be entertained. The brainchild of Anant Ambani, Director on the boards of RIL and Reliance Foundation, Vantara is spread over 3,000 acres within the Green Belt of Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat.
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