New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to get a fact-finding inquiry conducted against Vantara, a Green Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Gujarat's Jamnagar, in view of allegations of non-compliance with laws and acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants.

A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale constituted the four-member SIT headed by former apex court judge J Chelameswar while hearing two PILs that made allegations of irregularities at Vantara on the basis of reports in the media and social media and diverse complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations.

The court said considering the sweep of the allegations made in the petitions, inviting a counter from the private respondent or any other party would not have served much purpose.

It added that ordinarily, a petition resting on such unsupported allegations does not deserve in law to be entertained, rather it warrants dismissal in limine.

"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.

"Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to direct for the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of respectable persons of impeccable integrity and high repute having long public service," the bench said in its nine-page order.

It said besides Justice Chelameswar, the other members of the SIT will be Justice (retired) Raghavendra Chauhan (former chief justice of the Uttarakhand and Telangana high courts), former Mumbai commissioner of police Hemant Nagrale and former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Anish Gupta.

"It is clarified that the above exercise undertaken by the SIT has been permitted only to assist the court as a fact-finding inquiry so as to ascertain the true factual position and to enable the court to pass any further order, as may be deemed fit on the basis of the material furnished and contained in the report," the bench said.

The apex court, however, clarified that the order neither expresses any opinion on the allegations made in the petitions nor can it be construed to have cast any doubt on the functioning of any of the statutory authorities or the private respondent -- Vantara.

The court said the SIT shall examine and submit its report on the acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants, compliance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act and rules for zoos made thereunder, the International Convention on Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), the import-export laws and other statutory requirements concerning the import and export of live animals.

The bench said the SIT will also look into the 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 the creation of a vanity or private collection, breeding, conservation programmes and use of biodiversity resources and regarding allegations of a breach of different legal provisions, trade in animals or animal articles, wildlife smuggling etc. as made in the articles, stories and complaints referred to in the petitions as well as generally.

The court added that the panel would also look into complaints regarding issues of financial compliance, money laundering and regarding any other subject, issue or matter germane to the allegations made in these petitions.

It said the SIT, while looking into these complaints, may call for and receive information from petitioners, officials, regulators, intervenors or any other person, including journalists who may wish their allegations to be examined.

The bench said the SIT will conduct the fact-finding inquiry forthwith and submit the report, uninfluenced by any observations made, by September 12.

"Once the report is so submitted, the petitions will be listed on September 15, 2025 to consider the said report and if necessary, to pass any further order, otherwise the petitions stand disposed of, as above," the bench said.

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.

It had questioned Sukin, who appeared in the court in person, about the allegations made in the petition and asked Vantara to be impleaded as a party.

The plea has sought the constitution of a monitoring committee to ensure the return of the captive elephants to their owners and "rescue all wild animals, birds from Vantara and free them into the wild".

"The law and rules have been violated. State's administration failed, some officers were compromised and others were threatened. Captive elephants were forcibly taken from temples and their owners.

"Not only national level but also international level animals and birds, some of them endangered species, were smuggled into Vantara in the name of a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility in Gujarat," the petition has stated. PTI MNL RC