The Supreme Court has refused to reopen investigations into international wildlife transfers to the Jamnagar-based Vantara animal rescue and rehabilitation facilities associated with the Reliance Group, holding that the issues had already been comprehensively examined by a court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) and attained judicial finality through earlier orders.
The Division Bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice N V Anjaria dismissed an application filed by Karanartham Viramah Foundation seeking recall of the Court’s March 9, 2026 order and seeking a fresh investigation by agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other regulatory authorities into international wildlife transfers involving the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Radha Krishna Temple Trust and the associated Khodiyar Animal Welfare Trust.
The applicant relied on ongoing investigations, regulatory proceedings and developments in several foreign jurisdictions, including Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Peru, Malaysia and Venezuela. It also referred to materials emanating from the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), contending that fresh circumstances warranted reopening of the matter. The plea sought seizure and repatriation of animals allegedly transferred in violation of international wildlife norms and further sought transfer of management and control of the Jamnagar facilities to the Union government.
Rejecting the plea, the Supreme Court held that all transfers of animals up to September 2025 had already been examined by the SIT, whose report was accepted by the Court on September 15, 2025 and subsequently reaffirmed through its order dated March 9, 2026.
The Bench observed that once the findings of the SIT had been judicially accepted, the legality of the transfers examined in the report could not be reopened through successive proceedings. The Court further ruled that no directions could be issued to domestic authorities in respect of specimens covered by the earlier inquiry and held that the matter was governed by a “bar of finality”.
It held that the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and Radha Krishna Temple Trust could neither be subjected to further investigation nor prosecuted in relation to transfers already scrutinised by the SIT.
Emphasising the principle of judicial finality, the Court observed that its constitutional jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution could not be converted into a mechanism for perpetual re-litigation after a high-powered investigative process had concluded and attained closure through judicial orders.
The Bench also found that the fresh material relied upon by the applicant largely consisted of newspaper reports, online material and allegations based on inference. It observed that allegations based merely on inference, without substantive evidentiary foundation, could not justify reopening an investigation that had already been subjected to detailed judicial scrutiny.
The Court noted that the scope of the SIT inquiry was of the widest amplitude and covered all relevant aspects concerning the international acquisition, transfer and import of wildlife by the concerned entities. It found no material demonstrating any violation of domestic law, international treaty obligations or the regulatory framework governing wildlife imports and transfers.
While declining to order a fresh probe, the Supreme Court issued prospective directions aimed at strengthening India’s compliance architecture under the CITES regime. The Bench directed the CITES Management Authority of India (CMA India) to establish a direct line of communication with the CITES Secretariat in Geneva for greater institutional coordination and regulatory oversight.
The Court further directed CMA India to formulate a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the grant of import permits for live specimens covered under the CITES framework. The SOP is to be prepared in consultation with the CITES Secretariat and must satisfy the compliance requirements prescribed under the Convention.
The Bench directed that once the proposed SOP is finalised, it shall be placed before the Supreme Court for consideration. The Court indicated that it may subsequently examine the adequacy of India’s CITES compliance framework and, if necessary, introduce further measures to strengthen enforcement mechanisms relating to international wildlife trade and import regulation.
Accordingly, while refusing to reopen the investigation into Vantara’s wildlife imports, the Court kept the proceedings pending for the limited purpose of monitoring the formulation and implementation of a strengthened regulatory framework governing future wildlife imports under the CITES regime.
The petition alleged violations of CITES norms and wildlife import regulations by entities associated with Vantara. In earlier proceedings, the Supreme Court accepted the findings of the court-appointed SIT and concluded that no violation of domestic law, international treaty obligations or wildlife regulatory norms had been established. The Court had further observed that disturbing the settled custody and habitat of lawfully imported and rescued animals after completion of valid import procedures could itself amount to cruelty and be detrimental to animal welfare.
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