INS Viraat now private property: SC

INS Viraat, the Navy’s decomissioned aircraft carrier, has become the “private property” of a ship-breaker who has already torn down 40% of its body, chiefly for scrap, the Supreme Court told a private company, that wants to turn the vessel into a maritime museum-cum-adventure centre.

The iconic vessel has been lying beached in Gujarat's ship-breaking yard of Alang since September 2020.

"The ship is now private property and 40 per cent of it has been already dismantled. It can't be given the status of an aircraft carrier now," Chief Justice Sharad A Bobde said today.

The Mumbai company that bought the vessel had extended the same argument. The court had issued a notice to it on February 10 while staying its dismantling.

Maharashtra offers to help restore, preserve decommissioned warship INS Viraat It has now asked the Mumbai-based firm to focus on the supervision report and confirm if almost half of the warship has already been dismantled.