New Delhi — The Supreme Court has rejected a petition alleging violations of domestic and international wildlife laws by Vantara, the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The plea, filed by Karanartham Viramah Foundation, sought a review of approvals and import permits granted to Vantara and its Radha Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust since 2019.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria held that the matter had already been addressed in an earlier petition last year. The court noted that disturbing the custody or environment of rescued animals after lawful import could itself amount to cruelty, and therefore, the petition lacked merit.
The Supreme Court relied on a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report led by former apex court judge Justice J. Chelameswar, which found no violations of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, CZA guidelines, Recognition of Zoo Rules, Customs Act, or CITES norms. The court also dismissed arguments based on CITES Secretariat documents, which confirmed that all animal imports were properly documented and not for commercial purposes.
The bench emphasized that imports executed under valid permissions cannot be retrospectively treated as illegal simply due to subsequent objections. Accordingly, the court dismissed the petition while reaffirming that Vantara operates within legal and regulatory frameworks, conducting rescues, conservation, and breeding programs with multi-layered statutory approvals.
This marks the second time the apex court has cleared Vantara of allegations, underscoring adherence to wildlife protection and compliance protocols in its rescue and rehabilitation efforts.