INS Viraat is now private property, not a warship anymore: SC on its dismantling

The bench led by the Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, and comprising of Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice AS Bopanna was hearing a plea wherein the petitioner had asked to stay the dismantling of INS Viraat and convert it into something like a museum as it was a warship. As 40% is already dismantled and also it has become private property now, therefore, it is not a warship anymore, said CJI.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the need to stay the dismantling of INS Viraat when 40% of it is already destroyed and a private party has bought it with the full procedure.

The bench led by the Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, and comprising of Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice AS Bopanna was hearing a plea wherein the petitioner had asked to stay the dismantling of INS Viraat and convert it into something like a museum as it was a warship.

Senior Advocate Rajiv Dhawan informed the court today that the petitioner wants to convert it to a park, they say the government has to pay 40-60% of the cost and the Defense Ministry, Goa minister, Gujrat pollution control board etc have said no. He said that due to the court's stay on dismantling, Rs 5 lakhs per day and 1.6 crore per month is being spent on its maintenance. Dhawan read out a report which claimed that INS Viraat is a "dead structure" now.

On being told that 40% of it is dismantled, the petitioner said that experts can be called from abroad and it can be repaired. CJI remained unconvinced and said that though the court also has the same sentiments as the petitioner on the warship, it does not find repairing it of any use now. As 40% is already dismantled and also it has become private property now. Therefore, it is not a warship anymore, said CJI. You have come too late, remarked CJI.

It asked the petitioner to go through a report on INS Virat and listed the matter for hearing again after 2 weeks.

This Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy that remained in service for almost 30 years and holds the Guinness record for the world's longest-serving warship.

On the day of the farewell of the historic warship, Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that efforts were made to convert INS Viraat into a museum and several consultations were done but the plan could not materialise as an expert committee reported that it won't last for more than a decade.

"The government was ready to spend Rs 400-Rs 500 crores to convert it into Museum but an expert committee said its ferrous won't last and it may result in an accident. Under the circumstances, we had to bid a tearful adieu to it," the Minister had said.