Morbi bridge collapse: Oreva manager says ‘will of God’ led to the incident

A manager of Oreva Group told the court that the Morbi bridge tragedy was the “will of God”. Deepak Parekh, who is a manager in the company, told the Chief Judicial Magistrate and Additional Senior Civil Judge M J Khan that it was the “will of God (bhagwan ki ichcha) that such an unfortunate event happened”. 

Meanwhile, the lawyer appearing for the government informed the court that it was rather the worn-out cables, which were not changed during the renovation, that gave way. He told the court that the reason behind the collapse was that the aluminum base was replaced with the wooden base, which was lighter than the former.

The Morbi and Rajkot Bar Association has stated that they will not represent the accused in the Morbi collapse case. 

The company had signed a 15-year contract till March 2037 with the municipal corporation for the operation and maintenance of the bridge. The Morbi suspension bridge, also known as the ‘Jhoolta pul’, was built more than a century ago. It was shut for renovation for a few months, before being reopened for the public five days before the tragedy took place, leading to the death of as many as 141 people. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on Monday evening, urging the authorities to offer any assistance possible to the affected. The Prime Minister visited the site of the accident on Tuesday and directed a detailed probe into the matter. 

The Supreme Court will also hear a plea demanding the constitution of a judicial commission on November 14. 

Also read: Bridge collapse: Morbi admin hides Oreva hoarding ahead of PM Modi's visit

Also read: 'Extensive inquiry needed': PM Modi on suspension bridge collapse in Gujarat's Morbi