Vantara, a Green Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Gujarat's Jamnagar, on Tuesday issued a statement following the Supreme Court's directive to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and assured that it will fully cooperate and act in complete compliance with the law.
Vantara statement on SIT by Supreme Court
"We acknowledge the order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court with utmost regard. Vantara remains committed to transparency, compassion and full compliance with the law," Vantara officials said in a statement.
The statement said that the organisation will extend full cooperation to the probe and will continue the work of animal welfare. "Our mission and focus continues to be the rescue, rehabilitation and care of animals. We will extend full cooperation to the Special Investigation Team and continue our work sincerely, always placing the welfare of animals at the heart of all our efforts."
"We request that the process be allowed to take place without speculation and in the best interest of the animals we serve," the statement added.
Supreme Court constitutes SIT
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to get a fact-finding inquiry conducted against Vantara, in view of allegations of non-compliance with laws and acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and PB Varale constituted the four-member SIT headed by former apex court judge J Chelameswar while hearing two PILs that made allegations of irregularities at Vantara on the basis of reports in the media and social media and diverse complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations.
It said besides Justice Chelameswar, the other members of the SIT will be Justice (retired) Raghavendra Chauhan (former chief justice of the Uttarakhand and Telangana high courts), former Mumbai commissioner of police Hemant Nagrale, and former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Anish Gupta.
The court said, considering the sweep of the allegations made in the petitions, inviting a counter from the private respondent or any other party would not have served much purpose.
It added that ordinarily, a petition resting on such unsupported allegations does not deserve in law to be entertained, rather it warrants dismissal in limine.
"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.
"Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to direct for the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of respectable persons of impeccable integrity and high repute having long public service," the bench said in its nine-page order.
