New Delhi: The police have filed the chargesheet in the Gujarat Morbi bridge collapse incident that claimed the lives of 135 people. The 1,262-page chargesheet names Oreva Group promoter Jaysukh Patel as accused in the case. He has also been called absconding in the chargesheet.
Charges against Patel have been shown in red ink on the chargesheet.
It says that Patel could not be found during the investigation and there is little chance that he will be found in near future. The chargesheet says that the work of management, maintenance, security, tickets and administration was taken by the company for 15 years.
Also, after the accident, it was revealed that Jaysukh Patel did not cooperate in the rescue operations, the chargesheet added.
In 2008, for nine years, and on 8 March 2022, agreements were made on a non-judicial paper of Rs 300, it said. According to the terms in the agreement, the bridge was supposed to be renovated in 8 to 12 months depending on its strength.
However, the contract for the renovation of the Morbi bridge was awarded without any technical help within six months. The chargesheet alleges that the strength stability certificate of the bridge was also not taken from any technical institution. It says that instead of people with technical knowledge, people associated with fabrication work were given the renovation work of the bridge.
According to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, 22 wires of the 49 were corroded, the chargesheet mentions. It further alleges that the Oreva Group opened the bridge before time for its own benefit.
It says that during the accident, more than 400 people were allowed to go on the bridge.
The Oreva group was tasked with the renovation and maintenance of the Morbi bridge. Oreva Group, in turn, hired Dhrangadhra-based Dev Prakash Solution to renovate the bridge. After renovation, the bridge was opened to the public on the Gujarati New Year on October 26.
(With Inputs From Pravin Chavda)