New Delhi: The Supreme Court on August 25 constituted a Special Investigation Team to look into the functioning of Vantara, the controversial ‘wildlife reserve’ in Jamnagar, Gujarat owned by the Reliance conglomerate that was inaugurated earlier this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The ‘Greens Zoo Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre’ – as it is officially called – has been in the eye of several storms, with investigative news reports highlighting numerous issues including allegations that the centre’s procurement of exotic wildlife may have furthered illegal wildlife trade worldwide. Vantara, however, has held that all transfers were legal and came with valid certificates and paperwork.The Supreme Court constituted the Special Investigation Team on Monday 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. “Accusations of wide amplitude”On August 25, the second date that the petitions were posted for hearing, the Supreme Court noted that the petitions – “based exclusively on news and stories appearing in the newspapers, social media and diverse complaints by non-Governmental organizations and Wild Life Organizations” – make “accusations of wide amplitude”. These included unlawful acquisition of animals from India and abroad, mistreatment of the animals in captivity, financial irregularities and money laundering, the court noted. Additionally, the petitions also “cast aspersions” upon statutory authorities such as the Central Zoo Authority, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as well as Courts, the Supreme Court bench of Justices Pankaj Mittal and Prasanna B. Varale said. However, these were only “allegations” and there was no “supporting material”, the court added. The court specified that under normal circumstances such “unsupported allegations” would not be entertained. Moreover, “it will not serve much purpose” to invite a counter from Vantara due to “the sweep of the allegations” in the petitions, it noted.“However, in the wake of the allegations that the statutory authorities or the courts are either unwilling or incapable of discharging their mandate, more particularly in the absence of verification of correctness of the factual situation, we consider it appropriate in the ends of justice to call for an independent factual appraisal which may establish the violation, as alleged, if any,” the Court said in its order.Special Investigation TeamTo conduct this “independent factual appraisal” the court has put together a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has to file its report on September 12.The SIT will be headed by former Supreme Court Justice J. Chelameswar. Justice Raghvendra Chauhan (former chief justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana high court), former Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale IPS and Anish Gupta IRS (Additional Commissioner, Customs) are the other members of the SIT.As stated in the Supreme Court order, the SIT report will have to look at the following aspects pertaining to Vantara:(a) acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants(b) compliance of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and rules for zoos made thereunder(c) International Convention on Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and compliance with import/export laws and other statutory requirements concerning imports/exports of live animals(d) compliance with standards of animal husbandry, veterinary care, standards of animal welfare, mortalities and causes thereof(e) complaints regarding climatic conditions and allegations concerning location near an industrial zone(f) complaints regarding creation of a vanity or private collection, breeding, conservation programs and use of biodiversity resources(g) complaints regarding misutilisation of water and carbon credits(h) complaints regarding allegations of breach of different provisions of law, trade in animals or animal articles, wildlife smuggling etc. as made in the articles/stories/complaints referred to in the petitions as well as generally(i) complaints regarding issues of financial compliance, money laundering etc. (j) complaints regarding any other subject related to the allegations made in these Petitions.“The SIT in reporting about the above may call for and receive information from petitioners, officials, regulators, intervenors, or any other person including journalists who may wish their allegations to be examined,” the court noted in its order dated August 25. The court called on several Union and state government departments – including the Central Zoo Authority, the CITES Management Authority, the union environment ministry, and the forest and police departments of Gujarat – to assist the SIT in its inquiry. The court also ordered the SIT to conduct “a physical verification and inspection” of Vantara too, making the secretary of the Forest Department of Gujarat responsible “to ensure complete assistance and co-operation to the SIT” for this inspection.In response to two petitionsOn August 14, the Supreme Court had heard two petitions related to captive elephants and other animals at Vantara and asked the petitioners to make changes – including listing Vantara as a respondent – and had set the next date for hearing on August 25.One petition pertained to an inquiry into Vantara’s operations. Petitioner Dev Sharma sought an investigation into all wildlife imports and conservation-related operations undertaken since 2020 by Vantara and its linked entity, the Radha Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust. The petition also called for the verification of permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that enabled the import of animals to Vantara, scrutiny of breeder legitimacy and source-country clearances, checks on compliance with the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, as well as India’s obligations under CITES and the Convention on Biological Diversity, as LiveLaw had reported.The other petition urged the Supreme Court to constitute a monitoring committee to ensure that all captive elephants at Vantara be returned to their respective owners, and that all other animals and birds at the facility be released back into the wild.Vantara or Reliance have yet to react to the court’s order. This story will be updated as and when they do.