New DelhiA few moments ago
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The Supreme Court on Monday said that the purchase and sale of animals at Vantara Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Jamnagar has been done under the purview of rules. The center runs the Reliance Foundation of the Ambani family.
The court said that no disturbances have been found in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report. A bench of Justice Pankaj Mittal and Justice PB Varale said,
Now this matter will not be allowed to be raised again and again. The independent committee has investigated and we will trust him.
Earlier on August 26, SC ordered the SIT on 2 Public Interest Petition (PIL). One lawyer CR Jaya Sukin and the other petition Dev Sharma filed in July after a controversy over taking elephant ‘Madhuri’ from the temple of Kolhapur to Vanatara.
SIT report will not be made public
Vantara’s lawyer Harish Salve said in the Supreme Court that the investigation report should not be made public. His argument was that if the report came out, newspapers like New York Times would print only some part of it and make it wrong. On this, the Supreme Court said that the report will not be public.
SIT submitted report on 12 September
The 4 -member SIT was led by former Judge Justice J. Chelameswar did and the team included Justice Raghavendra Chauhan (former Chief Justice, Uttarakhand and Telangana HC), former Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and Customs Officer Anish Gupta.
The SIT submitted the report on 12 September. The court appreciated the SIT and said that the committee should also be given honorarium.
SIT investigated at 5 points
- In the acquisition of India and abroad, especially elephants- Wildlife Protection Act, Ruids of Zoo, International Species Trade Treaty (CITES), import-export laws and other statutory requirements were followed.
- Animal husbandry standards, veterinary care, animal welfare, mortality and their causes, climate and location complaints.
- In the case of allegations of making private collections, breeding and conservation programs, use of biodiversity resources, legal violations, wildlife smuggling and business of animal products etc.
- Complaints of financial compliance, money laundering and other related issues.
- Apart from this, as per the requirement, information was also taken from the petitioners, officers, regulators, interveers and journalists.
First understand what is the matter
Hathini Madhuri had been living in the Math, a Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswamy Institute since 1992.
On 16 July, the Bombay High Court ordered that Hathini Madhuri be shifted to Vanatara. This order was given by Peta India after the concerns expressed by Hathini’s health, arthritis and mental stress.
Earlier in December 2024, the Bombay High Court ordered Hathini to be transferred to the Vanatara Animal Sanctuary in Gujarat for the health and welfare. Then on 29 July, the Supreme Court also upheld this order. The case has been going on since 2023.
There were protests in Kolhapur in the last week of July when Madhuri was shifted to Vanatara. People signed to bring him back. Accused of hurting religious traditions and emotions.
August 14: Court asked to make Vantara a party in petition
The first hearing on the petition bringing Madhuri back was held on 14 August. Meanwhile, a bench of Justice Pankaj Mittal and PB Varlet had told the petitioner’s counsel CR Jaya Sukin that he was accusing Vanatara. While it has not been included in the petition as a party.
The court asked him to make Vantara a party and then return to the case, as well as the date of hearing of the case on 25 August. Earlier, a bench headed by CJI BR Gawai agreed to hear on the petition filed against sending Hathini to Vanatara on 11 August.
Madhuri was bid farewell to Nandani Jain Math.
Jain was living in the monastery for 32 years
A Hathini named Madhuri was brought in 1992 at the Jain Bhattaraka Pattacharya Mahaswamy Institute Math of Nandani village in Kolhapur. It has been a tradition in this Jain monastery for 700 years that elephants are reared here. It is part of the religious and cultural tradition. Madhuri Hathini was brought here when she was just 4 years old. She was living here for 32 years.
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