MORBI: A Gujarat court has denied bail to seven people arrested in connection with the Morbi bridge collapse that killed 135 people in October last year.
Judge of the main sessions PC JoshiThe court rejected the bail applications of the seven defendants, including two executives of the Oreva groupthe company responsible for the management and maintenance of the bridge.
Oreva Group CEO Jaysukh Patel Gives Up; sent to judicial custody
the british era, Machchhu River Bridge it collapsed on October 30, 2022, just days after its post-repair reopening. Jaysukh Patelthe CEO of the Oreva group, surrendered to the court and was arrested on 1 February.
Police filed a charge sheet in the case last week, in which 10 people have been arrested so far, including Patel.
Police files a 1,262-page charge sheet; Jaysukh Patel named as accused, fugitive
The other nine people arrested include two company executives, two ticket reservation clerks, three security guards and two subcontractors who had been hired for the repair work by the Oreva Group.
Applications for the bail of these nine people were rejected earlier by the Gujarat High Court and Sessions Court. With the exception of the two subcontractors, the other seven went to court again on Thursday to obtain bail.
Earlier, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the state government to investigate the collapse, cited several errors by the company.
Nearly 250 people were on the suspension bridge, a popular tourist site, when it collapsed.
According to the SIT, the shortcomings included a lack of restrictions on the number of people entering the bridge and no curbs on ticket sales, which resulted in unrestricted movement on the structure and repairs being carried out without consulting experts.
The probe had revealed that the company’s new metal flooring had increased the weight of the structure and had failed to change the rusted cables on which the entire bridge was suspended.
Other than that, the contractors hired by Patel’s firm weren’t qualified to carry out such repair and renovation work, SIT said.
The investigation report also revealed that the Oreva Group did not hire any expert agency to assess the roadway’s bearing capacity before opening it to the public after the repair and renovation works.
The prosecution previously informed the trial court that the company had sold 3,165 tickets on the day of the collapse alone, and there was no coordination between the ticket offices on either side of the bridge.
All 10 defendants including Jaysukh Patel were charged under sections 304 (manslaughter not equating to homicide) of the Indian Penal Code, 308 (attempted manslaughter), 336 (act endangering human life) , 337 (having caused injury to any person by doing a reckless or negligent act) and 338 (causing serious harm by doing a reckless or negligent act).
(With inputs from PTI)
Judge of the main sessions PC JoshiThe court rejected the bail applications of the seven defendants, including two executives of the Oreva groupthe company responsible for the management and maintenance of the bridge.
Oreva Group CEO Jaysukh Patel Gives Up; sent to judicial custody
the british era, Machchhu River Bridge it collapsed on October 30, 2022, just days after its post-repair reopening. Jaysukh Patelthe CEO of the Oreva group, surrendered to the court and was arrested on 1 February.
Police filed a charge sheet in the case last week, in which 10 people have been arrested so far, including Patel.
Police files a 1,262-page charge sheet; Jaysukh Patel named as accused, fugitive
The other nine people arrested include two company executives, two ticket reservation clerks, three security guards and two subcontractors who had been hired for the repair work by the Oreva Group.
Applications for the bail of these nine people were rejected earlier by the Gujarat High Court and Sessions Court. With the exception of the two subcontractors, the other seven went to court again on Thursday to obtain bail.
Earlier, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the state government to investigate the collapse, cited several errors by the company.
Nearly 250 people were on the suspension bridge, a popular tourist site, when it collapsed.
According to the SIT, the shortcomings included a lack of restrictions on the number of people entering the bridge and no curbs on ticket sales, which resulted in unrestricted movement on the structure and repairs being carried out without consulting experts.
The probe had revealed that the company’s new metal flooring had increased the weight of the structure and had failed to change the rusted cables on which the entire bridge was suspended.
Other than that, the contractors hired by Patel’s firm weren’t qualified to carry out such repair and renovation work, SIT said.
The investigation report also revealed that the Oreva Group did not hire any expert agency to assess the roadway’s bearing capacity before opening it to the public after the repair and renovation works.
The prosecution previously informed the trial court that the company had sold 3,165 tickets on the day of the collapse alone, and there was no coordination between the ticket offices on either side of the bridge.
All 10 defendants including Jaysukh Patel were charged under sections 304 (manslaughter not equating to homicide) of the Indian Penal Code, 308 (attempted manslaughter), 336 (act endangering human life) , 337 (having caused injury to any person by doing a reckless or negligent act) and 338 (causing serious harm by doing a reckless or negligent act).
(With inputs from PTI)
