A Gujarat court had earlier this year issued an arrest warrant against Jaysukh Patel in connection with the October 30 bridge collapse in Morbi.
Nearly three months after the bridge collapse in Gujarat’s Morbi that left 135 dead and several injured, a 1,262-page chargesheet was filed on Friday. Jaysukh Patel of Oreva Group that was responsible for the maintenance of the British-era bridge was named as the key accused in the chargesheet.
Jaysukh Patel is the Managing Director of Ajanta Manufacturing Limited’s (Oreva Group) that was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the suspension bridge on the Machchhu river that collapsed on October 30 last year. A special investigation team was formed by the state government citing several lapses on the part of the firm.
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Patel has reportedly been missing since the incident in October and has been named as an ‘absconder’ in the chargesheet.
Last week, Morbi Chief Judicial Magistrate MJ Khan had issued an “arrest warrant” against Patel after obtaining an application for the same from police under section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, according to the advocate representing the victims.
Patel who was not named as an accused in the FIR, had moved Morbi sessions court on January 20 seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest in the case. The hearing was adjourned till February 1 as the public prosecutor was not present.
Nine people, including four employees of the Oreva Group, have been arrested in the case so far. Two managers and two ticket booking clerks of the Gujarat firm were among those arrested.
Several lapses were cited by the special probe team including no restriction on the number of persons accessing the bridge, no curb on sale of tickets, leading to unrestricted movement on the bridge and carrying out repairs without consulting experts.
According to a probe last year, Clock maker Oreva Group that carried out “full and final” repairs on the suspension footbridge had reportedly spent only Rs 12 lakh, or six per cent, of the allotted Rs 2 crore.
The group had bagged a 15-year maintenance and operation contract to maintain and operate the bridge and was opened after renovations for six months. “The bridge is ready and safe to open on Gujarati New Year,” Patel had said on October 24, just days before the collapse.
Two days ago, the Gujarat High Court agreed to the Oreva Group’s offer to pay compensation to the victims of the bridge collapse and directed Oreva to deposit the amount with the state to enable them to take further steps in the matter.
