ILNS: The Supreme Court on Monday told the company which sought a direction to assess decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat and turn it into a museum that it had come “too late”.

The bench of Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice A.S. Bopanna and Justice V. Ramasubramanian said, “There is a legal open transaction between the Government and a private company, it has been dismantled till 40 percent, you are too late for this.”

The petition was filed by Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd seeking a direction to the Union Ministry of Defence to allow it to buy Viraat. The company wanted to convert it into a maritime museum and multi-functional adventure centre.

Previously, the Bombay High Court had asked the Centre to decide on the petitioner’s request that the Viraat be handed over to it, so that it could be converted into a museum. The High Court had then disposed of the matter. The warship is awaiting dismantling at a scrapping yard in Alang, Gujarat.

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Earlier, the Supreme Court had stayed the dismantling of the warship. However today, it dismissed the petition challenging the Bombay High Court order.