Overview

• The court recorded the SIT’s conclusion that animal acquisitions were lawful and in compliance with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, CZA rules, CITES, customs and trade laws, FEMA, PMLA, and the BNS.
• A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and PB Varale noted no contravention of law and ordered the petitions and listed complaints closed after perusing the SIT’s summary.
• The SIT report and annexures were re-sealed with confidentiality, an exhaustive summary was placed on record, and Vantara will receive a full copy subject to a non‑disclosure undertaking.
• Allegations of smuggling, money laundering, and misuse of water or carbon credits were found baseless based on inputs from agencies including the CBI, DRI and ED, and welfare standards were found to meet or exceed benchmarks with mortality rates aligning to global averages.
• The court barred repetitive proceedings on the same allegations, asked authorities and Vantara to consider the SIT’s recommendations, allowed Vantara to pursue remedies against misinformation, and granted honorariums to three SIT members.