The Supreme Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by Karanartham Viramah Foundation under Article 32 alleging violations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in relation to certain animal imports. The petitioner sought wide-ranging directions, including disclosure of import/export records, constitution of an independent monitoring committee, and suspension of further imports of Appendix I species.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria held that the issues raised in the petition had already been examined in an earlier proceeding where a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted. The Court noted that the SIT’s final report, accepted on September 15, 2025, found no violation of domestic or international law.
The Court further observed that the CITES Secretariat document relied upon by the petitioner did not support the allegations. Instead, it recorded that there was no evidence of imports without requisite permits or for commercial purposes, aligning with the SIT’s findings.
Rejecting the petitioner’s contentions, the Court emphasised that imports carried out with valid permissions cannot subsequently be treated as illegal merely due to later objections. It also cautioned that disturbing animals already settled in their environment post lawful import could itself result in cruelty.
Accordingly, the writ petition was dismissed, and all pending applications were disposed of.
Appearances:
For the Petitioners: Mr. Santosh Paul, Sr. Adv.; Mr. Ankur Yadav, AOR
