Morbi bridge collapse case: 1,262-page chargesheet filed, Oreva Group MD named as accused 

Morbi bridge collapse incident: A 1,262-page chargesheet has been filed in the 2022 Morbi suspension bridge collapse case on Friday. According to this chargesheet filed by the investigation officer DSP PS Zala, Oreva Group MD Jaysukh Patel has been named as an accused in the case in addition to the ninth accused who are already serving jail time. 

Those arrested include two managers and ticket booking clerks of the Oreva Group who were managing the bridge. The chargesheet comes after a Gujarat court issued an arrest warrant against Patel in relation to the case under section 70 of the CrPC. While issuing the warrant, Morbi chief judicial magistrate MJ Khan said that Patel has not been arrested yet and it has been 70 days since the incident. 

He was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI, “The court issued an arrest warrant against Jaysukh Patel of Oreva Group, which had a contract for the renovation of the Morbi bridge. He has not been arrested for 70 days.” 

Patel’s anticipatory bail hearing is slated to take place on February 1. Patel moved the Morbi sessions court on January 20 for anticipatory bail in the case since he was not named as an accused in the case.  

Before this, the Supreme Court called the bridge collapse an “enormous tragedy” in November last year while asking the Gujarat High Court to hold periodic hearings in the matter. On November 7, the Gujarat High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, issued notice to officials including those belonging to the State Home Department, and sought a report within a week. 

Morbi came into focus when a British-era suspension bridge collapsed into the Machchu river and claimed the lives of 134 people on October 30, 2022. Ajanta Manufacturing Limited or Oreva Group secured the contract to renovate, repair and operate the bridge. 

(With agency inputs)

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