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Morbi bridge collapse case 2022: Charge-sheet of 1,262 pages has been filed

January 27, 2023, 2:49 pm

A 1,262 pages charge-sheet has been filed by police in Morbi suspension bridge collapse case 2022 in Gujarat. The main accused in the charge-sheet is Jaysukh Patel, a promoter of the Oreva group. The police also informed that nine other accused,who were arrested earlier, has also been named in the charge sheet.

Application for anticipatory bail in Morbi Bridge Honrat case

January 22, 2023, 12:12 pm

Jaysukh Patel, MD of Aureva Group, applied for anticipatory bail. Many arguments in the bail application, despite not being named in FIR

Gujarat HC seeks report on bridges, their condition after Morbi bridge collapse

November 24, 2022, 2:40 pm

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday ordered the state administration to inspect every bridge to make sure it is in “good condition.”

The court ordered the state to submit a list of bridges along with a verified report on each one’s condition after taking suo motu notice of the bridge collapse in Morbi last month, which resulted in the deaths of 135 people.

The court also remarked on the issue of compensation, observing that the amount given is insufficient. The court said compensation offered to victims’ families should be ‘realistic’ and ‘appropriate’, according to a report published by news agency ANI.

The Gujarat High Court made these observations days after the Supreme Court instructed it to review the case “monthly” in order to make sure investigations uncover those responsible for criminal negligence and provide adequate compensation to the families.

The highest court also urged the high court to think about establishing regulatory frameworks to make sure that similar unfortunate occurrences don’t occur again.

The Morbi “hanging” suspension footbridge across the Machchu river collapsed on October 30 – two days after it was allegedly rebuilt.

Official reports said 135 people were killed but petitions filed before the Supreme Court have pegged the death toll at 141.

The occurrence was described as “a tremendous tragedy” by the Supreme Court.

The Morbi civic government was criticised by the High Court last week for its agreement with a private company to maintain the bridge and was questioned about whether the civic body had given the private company authorization to reopen the structure to the public.

The Ajanta clock-making company The Oreva Group was given the duty of doing the upkeep.

With an Assembly election scheduled for next month, the bridge collapse immediately turned into a significant political controversy. Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of AIMIM and a member of parliament from Hyderabad, lambasted the BJP on Monday.

“If BJP takes credit for developing Gujarat, they should also tell us who’s responsible for making Morbi bridge where 140 people died due to collapse.”

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have also challenged the BJP on the Morbi issue, despite the party’s hopes and widespread expectations of retaining power in prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state for an eighth consecutive term.

Gujarat Morbi Bride collapse incident was an “enormous tragedy”: SC

November 21, 2022, 4:14 pm

The Supreme Court on Monday said that the Morbi Bride collapse incident which claimed over 140 lives was an “enormous tragedy” and asked the Gujarat High Court which is already hearing a suo motu case on the same issue, to hold periodical hearings.

“It is an enormous tragedy and this will require weekly monitoring to see the award of contract, credential of the party awarded the contract, attribution of responsibility for those guilty.”

The petitioners are asked to approach the High Court with their pleas seeking an independent probe and compensation for those who lost their family members. The British-era bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi collapsed on October 30 leaving over 140 dead including 47 children.

“We are of the view that the High Court would also bring to bear its time and attention on other aspects of the matter which have been highlighted above while recording the submissions of the learned counsel of the petitioner,” the bench stated in its order.

‘Morbi collapse shamed fair name of Gujarat’, Chidambaram attacks BJP

November 8, 2022, 1:39 pm

P Chidambaram, a Congress leader, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday for the bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat, last week that claimed over 130 lives and pointed out that no one from the administration had truly offered an apology to the general public.

“… most shocking development is that no one, on behalf of government, has apologised for the tragedy,” he said.

No one has resigned taking responsibility. Morbi bridge collapse has brought shame to the fair name of Gujarat,” he said, taking on the BJP in prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state, where an election is due next month.

According to reports, 135 people perished when Morbi’s Hanging Bridge, a popular tourist site that suspended a walkway over the Machchu River, collapsed.

According to preliminary investigations, the bridge collapsed due to crowds and was improperly cleared before being reopened following refurbishment work by Oreva, a private company that makes wall clocks and e-bikes.

A senior official said (on condition of anonymity) some procedural lapses had been uncovered in the agreement between the firm and Morbi civic authorities.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, which are attempting to unseat the BJP in the upcoming Assembly election, led the case against the Gujarat administration for failing to act promptly and strongly enough after the accident.

On Monday another Congress leader – Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot – said the tragedy had ‘exposed the misgovernance of the BJP’s 27-year rule…’

The Gujarat High Court has asked for a report from the state government and has also issued a notice to officials to file a status report by November 14.

The matter will be heard again on that date.

Morbi Bridge Case: Municipal Corporation Chief officer suspended

November 4, 2022, 12:36 pm

Sandipsinh Zala,Chief Officer of Morbi Nagar Palika has been suspended following the Morbi Bridge mishap, where a cemtury-old bridge collapsed, according to the sources. After conducting an investigation, the Morbi government in Gujarat suspended Palika Sandipsinh Zala, the Chief Officer of Morbi Nagar. Tuesday morning, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the scene of the bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat.

At the scene of the collapse of the Machchhu River Bridge, the Prime Minister spoke with individuals engaged in rescue and relief efforts. PM Modi met the injured at the Civil Hospital in Morbi, along with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel.

After conducting an investigation, the Morbi government in Gujarat suspended Palika Sandipsinh Zala, the Chief Officer of Morbi Nagar. Tuesday morning, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the scene of the bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat.

Bhupendra Bhai Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, the state’s chief secretary, and the director general of police (DGP) were among the top representatives present at the high-level meeting, along with representatives from the state’s home department and the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.

There would be no slack in rescue and relief efforts, the prime minister had earlier declared.

A five-member committee has been established by the Gujarati government to investigate the bridge collapse tragedy.

Nine people have been detained in connection with the collapse of the Morbi bridge, including employees of the company Oreva, who reconstructed the bridge, ticket salesmen, and security personnel.
Five days after a 143-year-old suspension bridge collapsed into the Machchu river, killing at least 135 people, the search and rescue operation was suspended on Thursday night, according to the official.
According to State Commissioner of Relief Harshad Patel, no additional victims were reported as missing, hence the rescue effort was suspended.

Mamata says, no politics on Morbi bridge collapse, but attacks CBI, ED

November 2, 2022, 4:45 pm

Trinamool Congress leader and chief minister of Bengal Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday conveyed her shock and pain over the bridge collapse incident in Morbi, Gujarat, which lost at least 135 lives.

She said she would not indulge in “politics” over the issue as “people’s lives were more important”.

A Supreme Court-monitored judicial panel should be constituted to investigate the incident, according to Banerjee, who was addressing to reporters at the Kolkata airport before departing for Chennai to meet Tamil Nadu CM and DMK chief MK Stalin.

“I won’t comment on it as people’s lives are more important than politics. I express my condolences. Many have died and many are still missing. A judicial commission should be made under the SC to probe the Morbi incident,” she said.

Banerjee added that accountability issues needed to be resolved and questioned why central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation were not pursuing criminal charges against those responsible for the disaster.

“Why’re the ED and CBI not taking action against criminals involved in the Morbi incident? They take action against only common people. Accountability should be fixed.”

She, however, refrained from criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling the collapse of a bridge on a key Kolkata road a “act of fraud” in 2016. “Since it is the Prime Minister’s (Narendra Modi) state, I won’t say anything about him. I will refrain from talking politics,” she said.

On October 30, a century-old suspension bridge in Morbi, Gujarat, collapsed, killing at least 135 people. Four of the nine individuals arrested thus far in the case have been transferred to police custody, while the remaining five have been placed in judicial custody until November 5.

Bar associations decide to not represent accused in Gujarat bridge collapse

November 2, 2022, 1:24 pm

Two bar associations in Gujarat have decided they will not represent the suspects arrested in connection with the tragic Morbi bridge collapse. Both the Morbi Bar Association and the Rajkot Bar Association have issued resolutions stating that their lawyers will not represent the nine accused in the Oreva case, according to senior advocate of the Morbi Bar Association AC Prajapati, who spoke to news agency ANI.

After the bridge fell just days after being reopened to the public, the Ahmedabad-based Oreva Group has come under scrutiny. While congestion was a contributing cause, it has since come to light that the repairs were not done properly. The prosecution testified in court on Tuesday that although the bridge’s floor had been restored, the cable had not. Consequently, the cable broke as a result of the floor’s pressure. After the restoration, the floor itself grew heavier. Additionally, Chhath Puja caused a congestion of people.

After nearly eight months of restoration work, the bridge was finally reopened to traffic on October 26 by Oreva Group’s managing director Jaysukh Patel.

Patel revealed that Oreva hired experts and spent 2 crore on the makeover. And the bridge fell away four days later.

Nine individuals, including two managers of the Oreva firm, two subcontractors who had repaired the bridge, security officers, and ticket sales clerks, have been arrested in connection with the incident. While the remainders are being held in judicial custody, the managers and subcontractors have been taken into police custody.

Priyanka Chaturvedi remarks on Morbi bridge collapse: ‘Willful fraud, not will of God’

November 2, 2022, 11:26 am

In response to the government’s plea to the court about the collapse of the Morbi bridge, which claimed the lives of 135 people, Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned whether it was the will of God or willful fraud. She referenced a report in which Deepak Parekh, a manager for the Oreva company in charge of maintaining the bridge, was quoted as claiming that the terrible tragedy was “God’s will.”

The prosecution on Tuesday told the court that the contractors who carried out repairs of the bridge were not qualified for such a job. It also submitted in the court that while the floor of the bridge was replaced, the cable was not repaired and it could not take the weight of the heavier flooring of four-layers aluminium sheets.

Two managers from the Oreva company and two subcontractors who had rebuilt the bridge made up four of the nine people detained and were placed in police custody. The other five, which included ticket salesmen and security guards, have been placed in judicial custody.

Since it was discovered that the Oreva Group manufactures wall clocks and e-bikes, the responsibilities of the Oreva Group and the local authorities have come under scrutiny. The maintenance of the bridge was committed to this corporation, nonetheless, by the local authorities.

On October 26, the bridge was opened to the public, and the Oreva organisation stated they had hired professionals to fix the bridge. The main officer of the Morbi municipality, Sandipsinh Zala, alleged that the corporate house had not obtained a clearance certificate from the local government before opening the bridge.

Jaysukh Patel is the managing director of Oreva.

“So it was the Will of God the contractor did not repair/replace the rusted cable, the contractors were not qualified engineers, one of the managers overseeing the bridge contract was not an engineer but a media manager in the company. This is wilful fraud, not will of god,” Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote.

Gujarat bridge collapse: Death toll now at 135; developments in 10 points.

November 1, 2022, 3:53 pm

As more information concerning the bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat’s Morbi, which killed over 130 people, including more than 40 children, emerges, overcrowding and shortcomings in repair have become the primary worries. Visuals of weekend tourists who were taken off guard as the disaster struck have captured the agony of the Hanging Bridge collapse, which occurred on Sunday evening in a matter of minutes. Those who lived had horrifying stories to tell about the 233-meter rope bridge falling around 33 feet into the Machchhu River. With one more injured person passing away recently, the death toll now stands at 135. A total of 14 people are still hospitalised. One person is still missing, and the search continues, the Morbi District Collector said.

Not just India, there has been an outpouring of responses from across the world. “Today, our hearts are with India. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the bridge collapse, and join the people of Gujarat in mourning the loss of too many lives cut short,” US President Joe Biden said on Monday.

Here are the ten most recent developments on the Morbi bridge collapse:

Tuesday afternoon will see a visit from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the accident site. He arrived in his home state on Sunday for the laying of the foundation stone for the Tata-Airbus Vadodara plant. He conducted a high-level discussion on the Morbi incident on Monday night. At the meeting, Bhupendra Bhai Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, the state minister of home; and other key officials were present at the meeting. The rescue effort was explained to him.

2) In addition to the NDRF, teams of members of the Armed Forces, including the Navy and Air Force, have taken part in the rescue operations. PM Modi’s itinerary was jam-packed when his visit to Gujarat got underway on Sunday, but it was revisited.

3) A first investigation report (FIR) has been filed in the bridge collapse incident, highlighting claims of causing death by negligence, among other charges.Nine people were taken into custody on Monday. The maintenance of the bridge has been the responsibility of the manufacturing company Oreva Group for 15 years. Two of its employees have been arrested.

4) The company, known for producing Ajanta clocks, has been charged with “a callous approach.” On October 26, the bridge reopened following renovations.”We have no idea whether the fitness certificate was issued to the company for re-opening the bridge or not,” Sandeep Sinh Jhala, chief officer for Morbi municipality, said on Saturday. Jhala also said authorities have no information on the kind of material used during the renovation.

5) In the meantime, various leaders have been focusing on the BJP ahead of the elections, despite Mallikarjun Kharge, the chairman of the Congress, and party leader Rahul Gandhi stressing on Monday that the party will not participate in the political blame game.

6) “Modi ji, is the Morbi bridge accident an Act of God or an Act of Fraud?” senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, has been sharing an old video of the Prime Minister talking about the 2016 Kolkata flyover incident when 20 people died.

7) The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Gujarat chief, Gopal Italia, tweeted: “What could be worse than this? When the DM of Morbi district himself refused to give this bridge to a private company, a call came from a big leader from Gandhinagar, and then the corporation handed over the bridge to the private company. “

8) In addition to the stories of tragedies, stories of selflessness and bravery by people who participated in the rescue efforts even before the teams arrived are also starting to surface. Anglers also contributed.

9) One of the greatest tragedies in recent memory is being investigated by a five-person team.

10) The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) has declared an ex-gratia of 2 lakh for each of the deceased’s next of kin and 50,000 for each of the injured. The Gujarati government has offered compensation amounts of Rs. 50,000 for the injured and Rs. 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased.

SC to hear plea demanding judicial enquiry into Morbi bridge tragedy

November 1, 2022, 1:44 pm

The Supreme Court has decided to hear public interest litigation (PIL) for a court-monitored judicial enquiry in the Gujarat bridge collapse tragedy. On November 14, the Supreme Court will hear the plea. Vishal Tiwari, a lawyer, filed the PIL.

In Morbi, Gujarat, a bridge collapsed on Sunday night, killing more than 130 people. More than 40 children are among those who perished. Tuesday afternoon would see a visit from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in his own state on Sunday. He reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting on Monday night with the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other top officials.

When a sizable crowd of weekend visitors had gathered on Sunday evening amid festive celebrations, the 233 meter-long suspension bridge collapsed. The main reasons of the accident are thought to be overcrowding and shortcomings in the restoration efforts. One of the greatest disasters in recent memory, it ended up being. The bridge had only recently reopened after repairs, and the manufacturing company, Oreva group that was in charge of maintenance is now under investigation.

A five-person committee has been established by the state government to look into the occurrence. Nine persons, including two Oreva Group employees, were arrested on Monday.

The opposition has been calling for a more thorough probe in the meanwhile as the incident occurs just before the state elections.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said a panel – under the supervision of a retired judge – should be formed for the probe.

Morbi Bridge Collapse: 12 members of BJP MP’s family

October 31, 2022, 1:48 pm

Mohanbhai Kundarriya, BJP’S MP from Rajkot, lost his twelve family members in the suspension bridge collapse incident in Gujarat’s Morbi on Sunday. 12 Members of the family of Kundaria’s sister died in the Morbi bridge collapse incident, the personal assistant of the BJP MP told. “Among the dead, there are five children,” he said. Kundariya himself visited the spot in Morbi after the mishap and took stock of the rescue operation.

Kundariya said, “It is very saddening. Machinery are present at the spot to pump out the water so that we can figure out the bodies underneath, as there’s a lot of silt. I believe the bridge got overloaded and that led to the incident. Many teams engaged in rescue.”

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Morbi hanging bridge collapse incident increased to 132, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday.
Gujarat government on Monday announced that a high-powered committee has been set up to investigate the incident of the collapse of the suspension bridge in Morbi district of Gujarat.

According to the details from the district administration, after the mishap, the system was immediately activated and rescue operations started with the help of locals.
Besides this, teams from other places also started arriving at the spot. Around 40 doctors from various health centres, Rajkot PDU Hospital and Surendranagar Civil Hospital started emergency treatment of the injured at the Morbi Civil Hospital.
After the collapse of the bridge, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation boat and rescue materials including life jackets reached Morbi and started the rescue operation.
Emergency ambulances from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh Metropolitan Municipality and Morbi Municipality were running throughout the night to bring the injured to the hospital immediately. Several private ambulances were also involved in the rescue operation. Army team from Surendranagar joined with its three ambulances and equipment, informed the officials.