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- Supreme Court Dismisses Plea, Upholds Vantara Report | No Violations Found
New Delhi/Gandhinagar27 minutes ago
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The Supreme Court rejected a foundation’s petition filed against Vanatara. The court said that there was no violation of any domestic and international law in Vantara.
This petition against Vantara was filed by a foundation named Karanatham Viram. The petition sought directions to the Central Government, Central Zoo Authority and others. In this, Vantara was accused of violating laws related to animals.
The court had rejected a similar PIL last year. The court headed by Justice J. had accepted the clean chit given to Vantara by its Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Chelameswar. On the petition of the Foundation, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice N.V. Anjaria’s bench upheld the SIT report.
The court also said…
- This issue is not new. A petition related to this had already been filed, which has already been considered by the court.
- On September 15, 2025, the court accepted the final report of the SIT. The international document (CITES) cited by the petitioner was not in his favor.
- According to CITES, the animals were imported with the necessary permits and documents, and were not for trade.
- If the animals are imported in a proper manner, then raising objection later does not make it illegal.
There were 4 demands in the petition of Karnatham Viram Foundation…
- The central government and concerned institutions should present in the court the complete record of all the permissions, recognitions and licenses given to Vantara and its elephant trust from 2019 till now.
- In particular, information about all licenses and permits related to import and export of animals should be given.
- A new independent national committee should be created to monitor wildlife trade. This committee should be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
- The committee should also include experts in wildlife, international trade and environmental law. This committee should check the validity and genuineness of all import, export and re-export permits (related to CITES).
SIT had submitted the report on 12 September 2025
The 4-member SIT is headed by former judge Justice J. Chelameshwar and the team included Justice Raghavendra Chauhan (former Chief Justice, Uttarakhand and Telangana HC), former Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and Customs officer Anish Gupta.
SIT had submitted the report on 12 September. The court praised the SIT and said that the committee should also be given honorarium.
SIT investigated on 5 points
- Whether the Wildlife Protection Act, Zoo Rules, Convention on International Trade in Species (CITES), import-export laws and other statutory requirements were followed or not, especially in the acquisition of elephants from India and abroad.
- Complaints regarding animal husbandry standards, veterinary care, animal welfare, mortality rates and their causes, climate and location.
- Allegations of private collection, breeding and conservation programmes, use of biodiversity resources, legal violations, wildlife trafficking and trade in animal products etc.
- Complaints regarding financial compliance, money laundering and other related issues.
- Apart from this, as per need, information was also taken from petitioners, officials, regulators, interveners and journalists.
Controversy after shifting of elephant Madhuri
Hathini Madhuri was living in Swastishree Jansen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Math since 1992.
On July 16, the Bombay High Court had ordered that elephant Madhuri be shifted to Vantara. This order was given after PETA India raised concerns regarding the elephant’s health, arthritis and mental stress.
Earlier in December 2024, the Bombay High Court had ordered the elephant to be shifted to Vantara Animal Sanctuary in Gujarat for her health and welfare. Then on July 29, the Supreme Court also upheld this order. This case is going on since 2023.
There were protests in Kolhapur in the last week of July when Madhuri was shifted to Vantara. People signed to bring him back. Accused of hurting religious traditions and sentiments.
August 14: Court asked to make Vantara a party in the petition
The first hearing on the petition to bring back Madhuri was held on August 14. During this, the bench of Justices Pankaj Mittal and PB Varale had told the petitioner’s lawyer CR Jaya Sukin that he was accusing Vantara. Whereas he has not been included as a party in the petition.
The court asked them to make Vantara a party and then return to the case, and fixed August 25 for hearing. Earlier, on August 11, a bench headed by CJI BR Gavai had agreed to hear the petition filed against sending the elephant to Vantara.
Madhuri was bid farewell by worshiping at Nandani Jain Math.
Was living in Jain monastery for 32 years
The elephant named Madhuri was brought to the Jain Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Math in Nandani village of Kolhapur in 1992. It has been a tradition for 700 years in this Jain monastery that elephants are reared here. It is part of religious and cultural tradition. Madhuri the elephant was brought here when she was just 4 years old. She was living here for 32 years.
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Read this news also…
Supreme Court gives clean chit to Ambani’s Vantara: Said- buying and selling of animals is legal; Controversy over shifting of elephant from Jain monastery
The Supreme Court said on September 15, ‘The buying and selling of animals at Vantara Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Jamnagar took place within the limits of the rules.’ This center is run by the Ambani family’s Reliance Foundation. The court said that no irregularities were found in the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Read the full news…
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