Morbi bridge collapse: Rajkot IG says 9 arrested under various sections of IPC

The Inspector General of Police, Rajkot has announced that in total 9 people accused in the Morbi bridge collapse have been arrested after filing FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Those arrested include the managers of Oreva company and ticket clerks. Ashok Yadav, IG, Rajkot range said that among the nine people arrested there are two managers of Oreva company, two ticket clerks along with two contractors and three security guards for negligence, ANI quoted.

The Rajkot range IG has assured that the police team will nab others who are accused in the tragedy. A Special Investigation team will also be formed pertaining to the incident.

Morbi bridge, constructed in the Indian state of Gujarat, collapsed leading to the death of 141 people on Sunday evening. The tragic incident brought spotlight on the company involved in the maintenance and upkeep of the said bridge. The company, Oreva Group, had opened the bridge to the public five months prior to its scheduled opening. The company was given a deadline of 8-12 months to finish the suspension bridge's maintenance and cleaning.

According to Sandeep Singh, head of Morbi’s civic body, no ‘fitness certificate’ or other requisite permissions were issued before opening the British-era suspension bridge to the public. Singh also said that the company was required to inform the civic authorities after the bridge’s renovation ended. After this, an inspection would have been conducted.  

The bridge was built in the 19th century and was inaugurated on February 20, 1879. The construction was started by Shri Waghji Thakor, the ruler of Morbi till 1922, who was inspired by colonial influence and decided to connect Darbargarh Palace to Nazarbag Palace, both of which were the residences of the then royalty. The suspension bridge is located nearly 300 km from Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat.
 

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