Supreme Court Stays Dismantling Of Decommissioned Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier 'INS Viraat'

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the dismantling of decommissioned Indian Navy aircraft carrier 'INS Viraat' while issuing notice on a petition filed by a private company, who offered to preserve the iconic ship in national interest.

A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India was considering a petition filed by M/s Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited, which is interested in buying the ship from its present owner to convert it into a maritime museum.

The ship was sold to Shree Ram Ship Breakers in an auction last year. The ship is now beached at Alang in Gujarat where it is being dismantled.

During the brief hearing held today, the representative of the company told the bench that they are willing to offer Rupees 100 crores for the ship which was auctioned off for nearly Rs 65 crores.

The bench has sought the responses of the Ministry of Defence and the present owner of the ship.

Envitech Marine Consultants had earlier approached the Bombay High Court with the prayer. On November 3 last year, a division bench comprising Justices Nitin Jamdar and Milind Jadhav directed the Ministry of Defence to take a decision on the representation made by the company for NOC to acquire the ship. On November 27, the Ministry rejected the request for NOC.

The 65-year old aircraft carrier INS Viraat was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1987, after being acquired from UK, and decommissioned in 2017.

Click here to read/download the order