New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) The Supreme Court has dismissed another plea alleging violation of international wildlife norms in import of endangered species by Vantara, the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat's Jamnagar.

The top court last year dismissed a similar PIL and held there was "no contravention of law" while accepting a clean chit given by its Special Investigation Team headed by former apex court judge Justice J Chelameswar to Vantara.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria recently dismissed the plea filed by Karanartham Viramah Foundation.

The plea had sought directions to the Centre, Central Zoo Authority and others to place before the apex court the entire record pertaining to permissions, recognitions, and import/export licences granted to Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre popularly called Vantara and its Radha Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust since 2019.

The bench noted that the issue has been already dealt with by the apex court in an earlier petition filed last year and said, "More importantly, disturbing the settled environment, custody and air of living animals, including rescued animals after lawful import, may itself result in cruelty".

It said the subject matter of the petition, in substance, is the same which was the subject matter of consideration in an earlier petition filed by advocate Jaya Sukin.

"Those matters stood examined by the SIT constituted by this Court and the final report of the SIT has been accepted by this court on September 15, 2025. The same categorically records that no violation of any domestic or international law was found," the bench said in its order of March 9, which was uploaded recently.

The top court said that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) secretarial document relied upon by the petitioner, does not assist his case.

"On the contrary, the said document records that CITES Secretariat found no evidence that the animals had been imported without the requisite CITES documentation or import permits and there is no evidence that such imports were for commercial purposes. Thus, the said conclusion is in consonance with the findings recorded by the SIT, and accepted by this court," the top court said.

The bench noted that once an import has been effected under the valid permission, the same cannot subsequently be treated as prohibited qua the importer merely because the objections were raised thereafter.

"Accordingly, the Writ Petition stands dismissed," it ordered.

The petitioner foundation has sought multiple directions including constituting an Independent National Wildlife Trade Compliance Monitoring Committee, chaired by a retired Judge of this court and comprising eminent experts in wildlife biology, international trade regulation, and environmental law, with the mandate to verify the legality and authenticity of all CITES import, export and re-export permits.

Similarly, on September 15 last year, the top court said there was "no contravention of law" while accepting a clean chit given by its Special Investigation Team to Vantara.

It had taken on record the SIT's report besides noting the probe team's satisfaction on the compliance and regulatory measures in Vantara.

The top court on August 25 last year constituted a 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 besides complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations.

It came on record that the SIT, after a thorough investigation in coordination with multiple agencies "clearly opined" and held no violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, CZA guidelines, Customs Act, 1962, Foreign Trade (Regulation and development) Act, 1992, Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 or the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora.

"The Court has no hesitation in accepting the conclusion so drawn in the report. Thus, as no contravention of law has been reported by the SIT, the complaints particularly those listed in Schedule A in the summary of the report stand closed," the top court had said.

Relying on the SIT report, the top court had held that Vantara received the animals "by rescuing them from various situations and housing them in the rescue centre for conservation, and breeding programs" through a complex multi-layered or multi-jurisdictional statutory approvals, procedure and documentation.

"The imports of the animals have been made only after issuance of valid permits. Once the imports of animals is fully documented and supported by valid permits, it is not open for anyone to go beyond the said permits and to dispute the validity attached to such permits or official acts," it had said. PTI MNL MNL KVK KVK