Article Posted on : - Sep 23, 2009

The de-commissioning ceremony of Indian Naval Ship Bedi held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Tuesday. Image credit.

MUMBAI (PTI): After having served the Navy for over 30 years, the Indian Naval Ship INS Bedi was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai Tuesday.

Rear Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding Maharshtra and Gujarat Area, hauled down the Naval Ensign and lowered the decommissioning pennant, bidding adieu to the ship.

Bedi, the third ship of the 19 Mine Counter Measure Squadron based in Mumbai, was acquired from the erstwhile Soviet Union and commissioned at Riga in USSR on April 27,1959 by I K Gujaral, the then Ambassador of India to USSR, with Lieutenant Commander S N Chopra as her first Captain.

With her motto as "Lead to protect", the ship was entrusted with the daunting task of going into 'harm's way' to clear the channel off mines, thus making way for the formidable warships of the Navy to pass safely.

The ship has also carried out assistance during natural calamities and has taken part in numerous operations conducted by the Navy under the command of as many as 25 Commanding officers.