The Vantara story proves judiciary can act fast too

The swift action taken in the petitions against Reliance's private wildlife sanctuary 'Vantara' was a sign that made one wonder if the Indian judicial system and courts were so agile. Within three weeks of ordering the investigation, a four-member committee completed its investigation into wildlife trade transactions with various countries and submitted a report giving a clean chit. The Supreme Court accepted the report and closed the case. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is also the former Union Minister for Forests and Environment, described the court proceedings as 'extraordinary zeal of justice'. He even said with a hint of irony that he wished all the cases were resolved with such determination and enthusiasm.

The story of Vantara is one that has been resolved in the Supreme Court, where many cases of negligence affecting millions of people have been pending for years, in three weeks. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a former Supreme Court judge was formed to investigate the serious complaints raised against Vantara both domestically and internationally and was given a deadline of 12th of this month to investigate and submit a report. Unlike normal investigation committees, the team submitted the report in a sealed envelope within the specified date without even asking for a single extension. The report was considered within three days. Thus Vantara's case became one that was resolved in fast track. This is the first time in the history of the Supreme Court that an SIT has been formed and submitted a report in such a short period of time and the case has been closed after considering that report.

It was on the 26th of last month that the Supreme Court appointed a Special Investigation Team to examine whether there was any violation of the law in the construction of Reliance's wildlife rehabilitation centre 'Vantara' in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This came amid complaints by journalists, animal lovers and environmentalists both domestically and internationally that tens of thousands of diverse species of animals were brought from different parts of the world through illegal wildlife trade and that there was no transparency in their import and transaction. These concerns led to petitions in the Supreme Court. Two petitions were filed before the Supreme Court seeking an inquiry into whether there was any violation of international conventions related to wildlife conservation and domestic laws in the construction of Vantara.

The main demand was to investigate whether the transactions of these wildlife were carried out in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The petitioners also demanded an examination of the financial transactions behind this and the wildlife conservation standards in Vantara. Based on this, Justices Pankaj Mittal and P.B. Varale formed a four-member Special Investigation Team. The bench directed that the committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Chelameswar, conduct an independent fact-finding inquiry into the allegations and submit a report by September 12.

There were complaints that the news related to Vantara was not brought out by any mainstream Indian media, but only by a few parallel publications. Many of the news that appeared in the local media often disappeared due to legal action and pressure. Reliance filed a defamation case and contempt of court case against Himal South Asian Magazine, which had reported the news. Meanwhile, investigative reports were coming out in international media from countries as far away as Germany and South Africa. The transfer of an elephant named Mahadevi from a temple in Kolhapur to Vantara led to widespread protests. The Bring Back Mahadevi campaign went viral on social media and calls for a boycott were raised against Reliance.

Meanwhile, Reliance has denied all the allegations and has vowed that all its operations are completely legal and transparent and that it is committed to adhering to the highest standards of wildlife rehabilitation and conservation. The central government has also stood by them, saying that they are not involved in commercial animal trade and that all animal transfers were carried out in compliance with regulatory standards and backed by documentation.

What everyone expected from the Supreme Court was an intervention in the matter, not only regarding Vantara but also to issue guidelines on the import of such wildlife species in the country in future and regarding the establishment of private wildlife sanctuaries. However, the Supreme Court, which examined the report submitted by the committee in a sealed cover on Monday, clarified that nothing illegal had happened and that they were accepting the clean chit given to Vantara by the Special Investigation Team.

The Supreme Court revealed that the investigation conducted in coordination with various agencies has clearly recorded that there was no violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Zoo Recognition Rules, 2009, the Customs Act, 1962, the Foreign Trade Control and Development Act, 1992, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2002, the Indian Penal Code, 2023 or any international convention.

Vantara welcomed the clean chit given to them by the Supreme Court-appointed investigation team. They also claimed that this has proved that all the doubts and allegations raised against a noble animal welfare mission were completely baseless. With the Supreme Court itself closing the chapter of allegations and complaints, Vantara can now move forward without any fear. The Vantara case is now teaching our students of law that India’s courts, which are blamed for moving at snail pace, and which take years to consider bail applications of undertrial prisoners, are also capable of completing at rocket speed the investigation, trial and verdict if they want.