A special investigation team of retired judges appointed by India’s Supreme Court has concluded that the acquisition of animals at Vantara, a private wildlife facility owned by Anant Ambani, complied with applicable laws and found "no foul play" in its management.
The panel was set up last month after allegations that animals at the Reliance Foundation-run facility had been acquired unlawfully and were being mistreated. The Supreme Court had earlier said the accusations ‘‘appeared unsupported’’ but ordered an inquiry amid claims that authorities had failed to investigate the matter properly.
The judges’ report, made public by the court, said it found no evidence of illegal acquisition or mismanagement in the running of the facility. Reliance Foundation, which operates Vantara, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Vantara, closed to the public, covers about 3,500 acres in Jamnagar in the western state of Gujarat and houses roughly 2,000 species, including elephants and tigers. The site, near the oil refinery owned by the Ambani family, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March and was one of the venues used for pre-wedding events for Anant Ambani that attracted international attention last year. The nearby refinery is the largest in the world.
Despite the inquiry’s findings, Vantara has drawn criticism from wildlife activists and conservationists, who have questioned the suitability of the hot, dry regional climate for some species kept at the facility. The shelter also became the focus of protests in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra after an ailing elephant from a temple in Kolhapur was relocated to Vantara in July following a high court order.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected an application seeking to challenge that transfer, noting that an independent inquiry had already cleared the authorities of alleged wrongdoing. The court’s decision effectively upheld the relocation of the elephant to Vantara.
Legal and conservation groups that raised the initial complaints had argued that transfers and acquisitions should be subject to closer scrutiny. The court-mandated inquiry was intended to determine whether statutory procedures governing animal movement, welfare and custody had been followed.
The retired-judge panel said its review of documentation and processes found compliance with legal requirements. The report did not endorse broader policy positions on private wildlife facilities or their suitability in particular climates, focusing instead on whether actions taken in relation to individual animal acquisitions and transfers violated law.
The matter had generated heightened public interest because of the Ambani family’s prominence in India and the scale and visibility of Vantara. Authorities will now consider the panel’s findings as the Supreme Court proceeds to close the directed inquiry. Any further regulatory or legal steps will depend on additional petitions or actions by state or central agencies.
The court order and the panel’s report mark the latest development in a controversy that brought judicial scrutiny to the intersection of private conservation initiatives, animal welfare rules and public concern over high-profile transfers of captive animals.