Morbi Bridge Collapse: Jaysukh Patel is missing since the incident, and a warrant for his arrest was issued last week. Jaysukh Patel had filed an application for anticipatory bail in the court on January 16 fearing arrest.
New Delhi: Nearly three months after the death of 135 people in the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat’s Morbi, Jaysukh Patel, promoter of the Oreva Group and managing director of Ajanta Manufacturing Limited, has been named in the charge sheet as the prime accused.
Jaysukh Patel has been missing since the incident, and a warrant for his arrest was issued last week. Jaysukh Patel had filed an application for anticipatory bail in the court on January 16 fearing arrest.
Jaysukh Patel has been made the prime accused in the 1,262-page charge sheet.
Oreva Group, a company known for making wall clocks under the brand name ‘Ajanta’, was given the contract to renovate, operate and maintain this bridge over the Machhu river in Morbi, built 100 years ago. It collapsed on October 30, four days after it was reopened.
A government-appointed Special Investigating Team (SIT) pointed out several lapses in repair, maintenance and operation by the Oreva Group, including not restricting the number of people on the bridge at a time. Apart from this, no restriction was imposed on the sale of tickets, due to which there was no restriction on the number of visitors to the bridge.
So far, nine people have been arrested in this case, including subcontractors, daily wage workers working as ticket clerks and security guards.
