Contractors who repaired Morbi bridge not certified for such work: Prosecution tells courtroom 

By PTI

MORBI: The contractors who carried out repairs of the ill-fated suspension bridge at Morbi in Gujarat weren’t certified to hold out such jobs, the prosecution advised a courtroom right here.

While the bridge flooring was changed, its cable was not changed and it couldn’t take the burden of the modified flooring, the prosecution, citing a forensic report, advised the Justice of the Peace’s courtroom on Tuesday.

WATCH | Actual horrific moments of Morbi bridge collapse

The collapse of the bridge on Sunday night claimed over 140 lives.

Chief Judicial Magistrate M J Khan remanded 4 of the arrested accused — two managers of the OREVA Group and two sub-contractors who had repaired the bridge — in police custody until Saturday.

ALSO READ | Morbi bridge collapse: Scramble to maintain rely of the useless

The courtroom remanded 5 different arrested males, together with safety guards and ticket reserving clerks, in judicial custody as police didn’t search their custody, prosecutor H S Panchal mentioned.

Police had on Monday booked 9 individuals below Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide).

The 4 accused remanded in police custody had been OREVA managers Dipak Parekh and Dinesh Dave, and repairing contractors Prakash Parmar and Devang Parmar, employed by the OREVA Group.

ALSO READ | 47 children amongst these useless, two-year-old Duruku the youngest

Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, Panchal advised the courtroom that forensic consultants believed the primary cable of the bridge snapped due to the burden of the brand new flooring.

“Though the FSL report was presented in a sealed cover, it was mentioned during the remand plea that the cables of the bridge were not replaced during the renovation and only flooring was changed, the weight of the bridge increased due to the four-layered aluminium sheets for the flooring and the cable snapped due to that weight,” Panchal advised reporters.

IN PHOTOS | Over 140 useless in Gujarat’s Morbi bridge collapse

The courtroom was additionally knowledgeable that each the repairing contractors had been “not qualified” to hold out such work. 

“Despite that, these contractors were given the bridge repair work in 2007 and then in 2022. So the accused’s custody was needed to find out what was the reason for choosing them and at whose instance they were chosen,” the prosecutor mentioned.

MORBI: The contractors who carried out repairs of the ill-fated suspension bridge at Morbi in Gujarat weren’t certified to hold out such jobs, the prosecution advised a courtroom right here.

While the bridge flooring was changed, its cable was not changed and it couldn’t take the burden of the modified flooring, the prosecution, citing a forensic report, advised the Justice of the Peace’s courtroom on Tuesday.

WATCH | Actual horrific moments of Morbi bridge collapse

The collapse of the bridge on Sunday night claimed over 140 lives.

Chief Judicial Magistrate M J Khan remanded 4 of the arrested accused — two managers of the OREVA Group and two sub-contractors who had repaired the bridge — in police custody until Saturday.

ALSO READ | Morbi bridge collapse: Scramble to maintain rely of the useless

The courtroom remanded 5 different arrested males, together with safety guards and ticket reserving clerks, in judicial custody as police didn’t search their custody, prosecutor H S Panchal mentioned.

Police had on Monday booked 9 individuals below Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide).

The 4 accused remanded in police custody had been OREVA managers Dipak Parekh and Dinesh Dave, and repairing contractors Prakash Parmar and Devang Parmar, employed by the OREVA Group.

ALSO READ | 47 children amongst these useless, two-year-old Duruku the youngest

Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, Panchal advised the courtroom that forensic consultants believed the primary cable of the bridge snapped due to the burden of the brand new flooring.

“Though the FSL report was presented in a sealed cover, it was mentioned during the remand plea that the cables of the bridge were not replaced during the renovation and only flooring was changed, the weight of the bridge increased due to the four-layered aluminium sheets for the flooring and the cable snapped due to that weight,” Panchal advised reporters.

IN PHOTOS | Over 140 useless in Gujarat’s Morbi bridge collapse

The courtroom was additionally knowledgeable that each the repairing contractors had been “not qualified” to hold out such work. 

“Despite that, these contractors were given the bridge repair work in 2007 and then in 2022. So the accused’s custody was needed to find out what was the reason for choosing them and at whose instance they were chosen,” the prosecutor mentioned.