INS Viraat now private property: SC

Demolition already underway, court tells firm wanting to convert aircraft carrier into museum

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. On February 10, the court had ordered a stay on the process of dismantling the ship at an Alang yard in Gujarat. The carrier was bought by the Gujarat-based Shree Ram Group, a ship-breaking firm, in a bid. The 67-year-old iconic warship was towed to the breaking yard after over three decades’ service in the Navy.