Do not defame Vantara, says report giving Anant Ambani’s initiative clean chit
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The SIT constituted by the Supreme Court has given a clean chit to Gujarat's Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center Vantara giving it a big relief. The officials expressed satisfaction over the compliance of rules and regulatory measures in Vantara.
The SIT had submitted its report to the court on Friday itself. However, the Supreme Court reviewed this report on Monday i.e. today. Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice PB Warley while including the report in the records, said that the investigation team has given a clean chit to Vantara.
A bench of Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice P.B. Varale took the report on record and said that the authorities have expressed satisfaction on the issue of compliance and regulatory measures in Vantara. In fact, the SIT investigating the cases of Vantara submitted the report in a sealed envelope on Friday. At the same time after the report was presented by the SIT lawyer it was taken on record. The bench said, "The SIT constituted by this court has submitted a report and a pen drive in a sealed envelope which also contains the report and its annexures. It is accepted and directed to include it in the record. "
The Supreme Court had constituted a four-member SIT headed by the former judge while hearing two PILs alleging irregularities against Vantara based on reports in the media and social media and various complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations. In view of the wide-ranging allegations, the Supreme Court said that inviting a reply from the private respondent or any other party would not be of much use. The court had said that generally a petition based on such baseless allegations is not legally maintainable and should be dismissed in time. The order said that it neither expresses any opinion on the allegations made in the petitions nor can it be construed as raising any doubt on the functioning of any statutory authority or Vantara.
The Supreme Court had directed
the SIT to investigate the import of animals, particularly elephants, from India and abroad, compliance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act and the rules made thereunder for zoos, international convention on trade in endangered species of flora and fauna, import-export laws and other statutory requirements relating to import and export of live animals and submit its report. The SIT was ordered to investigate compliance with the standards of animal husbandry, veterinary care, animal welfare, mortality and its causes, complaints regarding climatic conditions and allegations related to location near industrial area, creation of vanity or private collections, breeding, conservation programmes and use of biodiversity resources.