'Completely vague': SC on plea to return captive elephants kept in Vantara

The Supreme Court on Thursday termed as "completely vague" a plea seeking to constitute a monitoring committee to return the captive elephants in Vantara, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre for wild animals.

A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale told advocate C R Jaya Sukin, petitioner in person, that he was making allegations against Vantara without even adding them as party.

The top court asked the petitioner to implead Vantara in the petition.

"You are making allegations against parties which are not represented here. You have not made them respondents. You implead them and then come back to us we will see," the bench said and posted the matter for August 25.

The apex court also tagged a similar petition with Sukin's plea.

The petition was earlier mentioned before Chief Justice of India B R Gavai for urgent listing.

The plea has sought constitution of a monitoring committee to ensure the return of the captive elephants to its owners and to "rescue all wild animals, birds from Vantara and free them into the wild".

"The law and rules have been violated. States' administration failed, some officers were compromised and others were threatened. Captive elephants were forcibly taken from temples and their owners.

"Not only national level but also international level animals and birds, some of them endangered species, were smuggled into Vantara in the name of a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility in Gujarat," the petition stated.