The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations against Vantara, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat’s Jamnagar managed by Anant Ambani and supported by Reliance Industries Limited and the Reliance Foundation.
The Bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale directed the SIT to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into allegations of illegal wildlife transfers, unlawful elephant captivity, financial irregularities, and compliance lapses under Indian and international wildlife protection laws.
The SIT will be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar and include Justice Raghavendra Chauhan (former Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana High Courts), Hemant Nagrale (former Mumbai Police Commissioner), and senior IRS officer Anish Gupta.
According to the apex court’s order, the SIT will examine:
Acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants.
Compliance with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and India’s obligations under the CITES convention.
Standards of veterinary care and animal welfare at Vantara.
Allegations of creating a vanity or private collection.
Misuse of water or carbon credits.
Alleged financial irregularities and money laundering.
The Bench clarified that the SIT’s role is purely fact-finding, meant to assist the court. “This order neither expresses any opinion on the allegations made in the petitions nor shall it be construed to have cast any doubt on the functioning of statutory authorities or the private respondent Vantara,” the judges observed.
The SIT has been asked to submit its report by September 12, 2025, with the matter scheduled for further hearing on September 15.
The court’s order comes in response to two public interest litigations (PILs) that accused Vantara of illegally holding elephants and transferring animals without due permissions. Petitioners also questioned the role of statutory authorities, alleging inaction and complicity.
The PILs were filed shortly after mass protests in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, where thousands demanded the return of a 36-year-old elephant named Mahadevi (also known as Madhuri) to her original home in Nandani village. Madhuri had been transferred to Vantara in July under a previous Supreme Court order.
One of the PILs, filed by advocate C.R. Jaya Sukin, sought a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into alleged violations by Vantara, the return of all captive elephants to their owners, rescue of wild animals and birds, and the declaration of a Tripura High Court committee on animal welfare as unconstitutional.
The plea alleged that elephants were moved without clearance under Section 38H of the Wildlife Protection Act, citing a Central Zoo Authority communication dated October 2022, which confirmed that Vantara did not possess such approval.
It further alleged that animals were taken from temples and private owners by NGOs in collusion with state forest departments and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), and transferred to Vantara under the guise of “rescue.”
The petitioners also claimed that endangered species were sourced not only domestically but also from international organisations, including the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (Germany), Fauna Zoo (Mexico), and India’s Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Assam State Zoo.
In an official statement, Vantara denied the allegations, stressing that it had not initiated the transfer of Madhuri or any other elephant. “At no stage did Vantara initiate or recommend the relocation, nor was there any intent to interfere with religious practice or sentiment,” the facility said. It added that its role was limited to providing care, veterinary support, and housing in compliance with judicial directions.
The formation of the SIT marks the first independent, court-monitored inquiry into Vantara, which has been projected as one of the world’s largest animal rescue and rehabilitation centres. While the apex court emphasised that it had not prejudged the case, the order reflects judicial concern over the absence of verified facts and the seriousness of the allegations.
The SIT’s findings, due in less than three weeks, are expected to provide a clearer picture of the legality and operations of Vantara, and may set a precedent for how India addresses transparency and accountability in private wildlife facilities.
