Guwahati: A day after the Supreme Court closed the case against Vantara, the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre run by the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, following a Special Investigation Team (SIT) clean chit, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh praised the swift action, saying, “If only all cases were handled with such expeditious and categorical clarity.”
Ramesh, Congress general secretary and former environment minister, noted the rare efficiency of the Indian judicial system in this instance.
“On August 25, 2025, the Supreme Court ordered an SIT inquiry into Vantara. The four-member SIT, including a former apex court judge, was tasked to submit its findings by September 12. The report was submitted in a sealed cover, and by September 15, the Court accepted it and closed the case,” he said.
The Supreme Court, while accepting the SIT report on Monday, stated there was “no contravention of law.” The bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P. B. Varale took note of the probe team’s satisfaction with Vantara’s compliance and regulatory measures.
The SIT, constituted amid two PILs alleging irregularities at Vantara, carried out a thorough investigation in coordination with multiple agencies. Its report confirmed no violations of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, CZA guidelines, Customs Act, 1962, Foreign Trade (Regulation and Development) Act, 1992, FEMA, PMLA, 2023, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Vantara welcomed the Supreme Court-appointed SIT’s clean chit, stating it validated the organisation’s animal welfare mission.
“With utmost humility and gratitude, we welcome the SIT’s findings and the Supreme Court’s order, which confirm that the doubts and allegations raised against our animal welfare mission were without basis. This validation is not only a relief but a blessing, allowing our work to speak for itself,” the centre said.