5 Navy officers facing action for INS Virat fire: Jaitley

Six Navy personnel, including five officers, are facing disciplinary action after they were found culpable by a Board of Inquiry (BoI) for a fire incident onboard aircraft INS Virat in September last year, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Answering written queries in the House, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said disciplinary action was also being taken against three officers and four sailors for a fire incident onboard fast patrol vessel INS Tarasa in July last year.

"Disciplinary action is being taken against five officers and one sailor found culpable by a BoI into the fire incident on INS Virat," he said.

The fire incident had taken place near the officers' compartment of INS Virat on September 30 last year. The vessel is 50 years old and has undergone several refurbishments to extend its life in view of the delay in induction of INS Vikramaditya, which is now in service.

The fire incident had taken place on INS Tarasa on July 14 and is part of the 17 reported mishaps involving naval assets since August last year.

The INS Tarasa is a Trinkat Class vessel and is part of family of warships named after islands from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or the Lakshadweep Islands.

The Navy is also taking action against four officers and two sailors for a collision between naval warship INS Talwar and fishing trawler in December last year off the coast of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.

On the biggest mishap of the Navy involving submarine INS Sindhurakshak, which sunk with 18 personnel on board in August 14 last year, the Defence Minister said the "BoI has been reconvened and is under progress at the Western Command."

The submarine has now been taken out of water and navy officers are trying to ascertain the main reasons behind the mishap.

Answering another query, the Defence Minister said there are 81 firing ranges in the country including "long range, field firing range and air to ground firing ranges.