- (1.) The writ petition filed by the petitioners, seeking a 'No Objection Certificate' from the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, for the conversion of the warship INS Viraat from scrap to preserve having been disposed of by the High Court of Bombay, without commenting upon the merits of the claim of the petitioners, but merely directing the Union of India to dispose of a pending representation of the petitioners, the writ petitioners before the High Court have come up with the above Special Leave Petitions.
(2.) We have heard Mrs. Rupali Vishnukant Sharma, petitioner No.3 appearing in person both on her own behalf and on behalf of petitioner Nos.1 and 2, Shri Balbir Singh, learned Additional Solicitor General for the Union of India and Shri Rajeev Dhavan, learned senior counsel appearing for the second respondent.
(3.) INS Viraat, formerly known as HMS Hermes, is the oldest serving warship in the world. It served the British Navy from November, 1959 to April, 1984 and after refurbishment it was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987.;