The Supreme Court of India accepted a four-member Special Investigation Team’s conclusion that it found no violation of the laws and regulatory instruments it examined in complaints about Vantara. The Court closed the complaints before it in an order dated 15 September 2025. The order also reports favorable SIT findings on animal-welfare benchmarks and mortality, but the full report and supporting material were sealed, so the public record does not provide the underlying data for independent review.
Why the Supreme Court appointed an SIT
On 25 August 2025, the Supreme Court said allegations in petitions about Vantara were unsubstantiated and lacked probative material. It nevertheless ordered a fact-finding inquiry, citing the gravity of the allegations and the petitioners’ claim that the authorities were unwilling or unable to investigate. The Court directed the team to begin without delay. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025; SCC Times, 26 August 2025
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The four members named in the Court’s order were former Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar, former chief justice Justice R.S. Chauhan, former Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale and IRS officer Anish Gupta. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025
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The public order describes a broad inquiry into allegations and questions concerning Vantara’s animal acquisition and imports, possible smuggling or laundering, animal welfare and husbandry, animal deaths, conservation and breeding, climate and location, and financial and trade matters. The order says the team coordinated with government agencies, regulators, enforcement bodies and experts, and conducted site visits and personal hearings. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025; The Indian Express, 15 September 2025
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What the Court accepted
The SIT filed its report and a summary on 12 September 2025. In its 15 September order, the Court accepted the SIT’s conclusion that it found no violation of the following laws and regulatory instruments in the matters it examined:
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, and Central Zoo Authority guidelines
- Customs Act, 1962
- Foreign Trade (Regulation and Development) Act, 1992
- Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
- Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
The Court said the complaints before it stood closed. This describes the Court’s account and acceptance of the SIT’s findings; it is not a separate investigation by the Court or an independent verification of the evidence by this article. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025; Source on attribution of the Court’s findings
Animal welfare and mortality findings
The order says the SIT, drawing on expert input, found Vantara’s facilities exceeded prescribed benchmarks and that mortality figures aligned with global zoological averages. The Court said it was satisfied that facilities in some respects exceeded prescribed standards and benchmarks. The public summary gives no mortality percentage, and the full report and underlying data are sealed; these conclusions therefore should be understood as findings reported by the SIT and accepted by the Court, not figures independently assessable from the public order. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025; Source on mortality figures
What happens to the report and recommendations
The Court ordered the complete SIT report, annexures and pen drive resealed and kept confidential. The public order provides a summary of findings and recommendations, but not the complete evidentiary record. It directed Vantara and relevant authorities to consider and implement the suggested measures. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025; Source on the public record
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The order also says that further complaints or proceedings based on the same set of allegations should not be entertained before judicial, statutory or administrative forums. Its closure concerns the complaints and petitions before the Court and the same allegations; it should not be recast as a public release of the sealed report or as a finding on matters outside that record. Supreme Court order, 15 September 2025
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Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 25 August 2025 | The Supreme Court constituted the SIT and directed it to begin its inquiry. |
| 12 September 2025 | The SIT filed its report and summary, according to the Court’s later order. |
| 15 September 2025 | The Court accepted the SIT’s conclusions, closed the complaints it had examined, and issued directions on recommendations and confidentiality. |
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