The Supreme Court of India has given a clean chit to Reliance Foundation’s Vantara (Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre), dismissing all allegations of illegal animal acquisition, smuggling, money laundering, and wildlife law violations. A court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by former Supreme Court judge Jasti Chelameswar, found no irregularities under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, CITES regulations, Customs and trade laws, or money laundering statutes. The probe confirmed that animal welfare standards at Vantara exceeded prescribed benchmarks, mortality rates were within global norms, and all animal acquisitions — including elephants — were backed by valid permits. The apex court accepted the SIT report, closed all pending complaints, and barred fresh proceedings on the same issues. While directing Vantara to adopt the SIT’s recommendations, the court also ordered the report to be kept confidential, with only a summary on record. Welcoming the verdict, Vantara said the ruling reaffirms its mission of wildlife conservation, putting to rest all doubts raised by earlier litigations and media reports.
