NEW DELHI, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- India's top court Wednesday stayed dismantling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat and issued notice to the company that bought the ship from the government to be made into scrap, officials said.
The apex court's order came in a petition filed by a firm seeking to convert the decommissioned ship into a maritime museum and multi-functional adventure centre.
"Supreme Court today kept on hold the dismantling of the Navy's former flagship, Viraat and issued notice to the company that bought it and others in order to seek their response," an official said.
INS Viraat was in service with the Indian Navy for nearly three decades.
A Mumbai-based company, Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited, had come forward to convert the ship into a maritime museum that will be docked in the Zuari river in Goa. It has offered to buy the decommissioned carrier for 13.76 million U.S. dollars and convert it into a museum.
The local government of Goa has come on board for the project and written to the defence ministry in this regard.
The ship was decommissioned in March 2017.
