New Delhi: Giving a clean chit to Vantara on several aspects, the Supreme Court on Monday (September 15) said that as per the report submitted by the special investigation team (SIT) it had appointed, animal acquisitions by the Reliance-owned zoo-cum-rescue-cum rehabilitation centre at Jamnagar, Gujarat, were as per “regulatory compliance”.As per a report by LiveLaw, the Supreme Court bench that heard the matter also said that they were “closing the matter” and “accepting the report”. ‘As per regulatory compliance’The apex court had appointed a four-member SIT on August 25 in response to two writ petitions submitted before it on August 14, one of which urged that an inquiry be conducted into Vantara’s operations since 2020, including verification of its permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that enabled import of hundreds of exotic species from several continents. Several investigative news reports have alleged that, among other things, Vantara’s procurement of exotic wildlife may have furthered illegal wildlife trade worldwide. As per news reports, the SIT visited Vantara from September 4 to 6 to conduct an on-site inspection. While at Vantara, the SIT also allegedly met with the centre’s chief financial officer, director and senior officials and examined documents relating to animal transfers, funding, veterinary care and legal permissions. The SIT also inspected enclosures, quarantine facilities and medical infrastructure to verify compliance with the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1973, zoo rules and international conventions, per these reports. It then reportedly sent a 200-query questionnaire to Vantara.The SIT filed its report and submitted it to the Supreme Court on September 12, Friday.On Monday, the same bench that heard the writ petitions – comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice P.B. Varale – read the report and said that they had found that its acquisitions of animals had been “carried out in regulatory compliance”, LiveLaw reported.‘Closing the matter’The Hindu reported that when the bench indicated that it would make the SIT report part of the order, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State of Gujarat, submitted that the top court need not annex it. Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Vantara, supported Mehta, citing concerns that the report may contain “commercially confidential information”.The bench agreed and said that it would consider including a summary of the SIT report in its order instead.“We are closing the matter and we are accepting the report. We will not permit anyone to raise such objections… We are satisfied we the report of the Committee… Now, we have a report of an independent committee, they have gone through everything, they have taken help of experts. Whatever they have submitted, we will go by that. And all authorities will be free to take actions based on recommendations and suggestions. You are also bound, we will not permit anyone to raise questions again and again,” LiveLaw reported.LiveLaw also reported that when a counsel tried informing the court that an intervention application had been filed raising an issue with respect to the temple’s elephant being taken away, the court said it will not go into it. Justice Mithal reportedly added that “no unnecessary allegation must be made now that an independent body has found no foul play”. “See, there are certain things we probably feel are the pride of this country. We should not unnecessarily rake up all these matters and raise hue and cry for the sake of that. Allow certain good things to happen to the country… If the acquisition of an elephant is in accordance with the law, what is the difficulty? See, if somebody wants to acquire an elephant and he takes care of the provisions of law and acquires, what is wrong in it,” LiveLaw quoted Justice Mithal as saying. The SIT appointed by the court to look into Vantara’s operations was chaired by retired Justice J. Chelameswar; other members included Justice Raghavendra Chauhan, former Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand and Telangana High Courts; Hemant Nagrale, IPS (former Mumbai Police Commissioner); and Anish Gupta, IRS, Additional Commissioner, Customs.This story will be updated as more information comes in.