A day after the Supreme Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under former top court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar, the panel held its first meeting to deliberate on its functioning and division of responsibilities. The SIT has been tasked with probing the affairs of Vantara, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre of Reliance Foundation in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, with a special focus on alleged violations linked to customs and import/export laws concerning exotic animals.

According to directions of the apex court, the SIT must submit an interim report by September 12, examining issues such as the importation of elephants and other animals under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and related customs regulations. The inquiry will extend to whether due permissions were obtained for animal imports, compliance with veterinary and quarantine norms, and adherence to customs notifications issued for endangered species.

The four-member SIT is headed by Justice Jasti Chelameswar and includes former Chief Justices Raghavendra Chauhan and Hemant Nagrale, along with IRS officer Anish Gupta.

• Justice Jasti Chelameswar, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2018, is known for advocating judicial transparency and played a key role in questioning opaque appointments under the collegium system.
• Justice Raghavendra Chauhan, who served as Chief Justice of Telangana and Uttarakhand High Courts, has dealt with several judicial inquiries involving regulatory compliance.
• Hemant Nagrale, former Mumbai Police Commissioner and DGP Maharashtra, brings expertise in criminal investigations, including cases involving customs-linked smuggling and financial frauds.
• Anish Gupta, a 2009-batch IRS officer currently posted as Additional Commissioner (Customs) in Patna, has handled major customs enforcement cases relating to tax evasion and import-export violations.

The SIT’s immediate mandate is to scrutinize whether exotic animals, particularly elephants, were imported in violation of customs rules, quarantine standards, and wildlife regulations. Allegations of misdeclaration of consignments, circumvention of customs norms, and discrepancies in documentation are also expected to be examined.

The panel’s findings could have wider implications for how customs and wildlife authorities regulate the cross-border movement of endangered species and exotic animals into India.