The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a plea to stop dismantling of decommissioned aircraft carrier 'INS Viraat' for preserving it as a maritime museum.
"You have come too late," a bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde told petitioner-in-person Rupali Sharma, who pleaded for the aircraft carrier to be handed over for turning into a national treasure.
"We are with you as far as the spirit of nationalism is concerned, but you are too late in this case. We cannot interfere now. Government has already made the decision," the bench told her.
The court dismissed the special leave petition against the Bombay High Court's judgement of November 27, 2020.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan contended that the High Court allowed the petitioner to approach the Ministry of Defence which had refused their plea and the matter should end there.
On February 10, 2021, the top court ordered status quo on INS Viraat following its decommissioning by Indian Navy in 2017.
The court had then passed the interim order on a plea by M/s Envitech Marine Consultants Private Ltd.
The petitioner-firm led by Sharma contended it wanted to preserve the ship as a maritime museum. It offered upto Rs 100 crore for the ship, which it claimed has been ordered for dismantling for just Rs 38 crore.
INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier, was decommissioned in 2017 after 30 years service to Indian Navy. It was subsequently sold to a ship breaking company as scrap for dismantling at Alang in Gujarat.
(Published 12 April 2021, 08:27 IST)
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