The Supreme Court on Monday indicated that it may lift the stay on the dismantling of India's decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat. However, it asked a private firm, which is keen to convert it into a museum, to submit its reply on the marine surveyor report which concluded that Viraat is a dead structure, and in a totally grounded situation.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde and comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said: "the ship is now a private property. 40 percent of it has already been dismantled and it cannot be given status of aircraft carrier now." In February, the top court had barred further dismantling of INS Viraat which was in service with the Indian Navy for nearly three decades. It has been beached in Gujarat's ship-breaking yard of Alang since September 2020. The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing after a week.