SC forms SIT to probe Vantara wildlife centre, Jamnagar

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team to conduct a comprehensive factfinding inquiry into the affairs of Vantara, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre operated by the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The four-member panel, led by former apex court judge Justice J Chelameswar, was commissioned after multiple petitions and complaints alleged irregularities in the centre’s animal acquisitions, management and financial practices. The SIT has been directed to submit its report by September 12, after which further orders may be considered.

The panel also comprises Justice Raghavendra Chauhan, a former chief justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana high courts, Hemant Nagrale, the former Mumbai police commissioner, and Anish Gupta, an additional commissioner of customs. The court clarified that the SIT’s role is to assist the court with a factual appraisal, enabling it to determine whether any violations occurred, and not to prejudge the actions of statutory authorities or the centre itself. The secretary of Gujarat’s Forest Department is tasked with providing full cooperation and facilitating access for the investigation...