In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed Special Leave Petitions filed by Envitech Marine Consultants and others seeking to preserve INS Viraat, a decommissioned warship, as a memorial to naval heritage. The petitioners wanted to convert the vessel into a maritime museum through a public-private partnership, but failed to meet conditions set by the highest bidder. The Ministry of Defence had already rejected their representation. By the time the case reached the Court, dismantling was 35–40% complete and the vessel had suffered severe hull damage, rendering it a 'dead structure'. The Court, while appreciating the petitioners' sentiments, found it could not grant meaningful relief at that stage and dismissed the petitions."
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