New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the dismantling of India’s decommissioned aircraft carrier ”Viraat” which was in service with the Indian Navy for nearly three decades. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre and others seeking their responses on the plea.
The court was hearing a petition filed by a firm seeking preservation of the ship from being dismantled and for creating it as a museum.
A large portion of the carrier has already been dismantled when the order to stop work for now came today, NDTV reported.
INS Viraat, the second Centaur-Class aircraft carrier-in-service, which spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy, was decommissioned in March 2017, in a grand ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
The Centre had in July 2019 informed the Parliament that decision to scrap Viraat was taken after due consultation with the Indian Navy.
About INS Viraat
INS Viraat holds the world record, as mentioned in the Guinness Book of records, for being the longest serving warship of the world. The ship which was the centerpiece of the Navy, housed the fighters Sea Harriers of INAS 300, popularly called ‘White Tigers’, Anti Submarine aircraft Sea king Mk 42B – also known as ‘Harpoons’ – Sea King Mk 42 C and the SAR helicopter Chetak as an integral flight. The indigenous Advance Light Helicopters ‘Dhruv’ and the Russian twin rotor Kamov-31 have also operated from the ship.