Top court orders stay on dismantling of INS Viraat

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed further dismantling of the decommissioned warship INS Viraat, which was in service with the Indian Navy for nearly three decades, and issued a notice to the Centre on a private firm’s plea to convert the ship into a maritime museum.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde said, “In the meantime, parties are directed to maintain status quo with regard to dismantling/ breaking of the subject-ship known as INS Viraat, as on date.”

The plea was filed by the private firm – Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited.

Earlier, the firm had lost the case before the Bombay high court. In an order issued on November 3, 2020, the court had refused to intervene in the matter after the ministry of defence declined a no objection certificate to the company.

In July 2019, the Centre had informed Parliament that the decision to scrap Viraat was taken after due consultation with the Indian Navy.

At an auction held during the same month, the government sold the warship to hree Ram Group of Industries, a shipbreaking firm based in Alang,

Gujarat, for converting it into scrap at a price of ₹38.54 crore.

INS Viraat, India’s first aircraft carrier, was decommissioned in 2017 after it was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1987. It was previously part of the British Royal Navy before it was acquired from the United Kingdom.

Envitech Marine Consultants was represented before the Supreme Court by its managing director Rupali Sharma. The firm had evinced interest of purchasing the ship by offering a premium. But the ship’s new owner had demanded a sum of ₹100 crore.

On Wednesday, the bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, asked Sharma how much the petitioner firm was willing to pay to acquire INS Viraat. Sharma stated that the shipbreaking company had demanded ₹100 crore. The court asked Sharma, “What is the condition of the ship. Has it been dismantled?”

The petitioner informed the bench that 25 per cent of the dismantling was over. However, the hull is still intact, she added.

Before the high court, the ministry had stated that the new owner was not willing to sell the ship. The petitioner firm argued that the ship-breaking firm was willing to sell but in the process of obtaining no-objection certificate, the warship should not be dismantled.