said in an email.

The government agency, known as NOAA Fisheries, is pleased with the ruling, spokeswoman Connie Barclay said in an email.

The aquarium, which has said the whales are needed to strengthen the gene pool of whales in captivity in the U.S. and for research, argued the agency's denial of its permit application was arbitrary and capricious.

The 18 belugas are from the Sea of Okhotsk in northern Russia and were collected by scientists there in 2006, 2010 and 2011. They currently live in the Utrish Marine Mammal Research Station in Russia. Some of the whales would have lived at the Georgia Aquarium while others would have been loaned to aquariums in Chicago and Connecticut and Sea World facilities in Florida, Texas and California.

In denying the permit, NOAA FisheriesAfter the complainant, who had come for a hearing in an alleged rape case of 2008, got to know that the next date in the case was fixed for February 8, she walked out of court room on fifth floor and consumed some poisonous substance saying "justice was being delayed," her lawyer Bharat Shah, who was an eyewitness, said.

The girl was rushed to hospital, police said. The girl's lawyer said the court of metropolitan judge S V Parikh had fixed next date of hearing for March 18 in the case, but on his appeal it was changed to February 8.

The girl, who worked with a garment firm in Ambraiwadi here, had filed a complaint with police in 2008 alleging gang rape by the firm owner and his three