Morbi bridge collapse tragedy: Court issues arrest warrant against Oreva Group chief Jaysukh Patel

AHMEDABAD: A warrant for the arrest of Jaysukh Patel of the Oreva Group has been issued by a court in Gujarat in connection to the collapse of the Machchu river bridge in Morbi on October 30, which resulted in the deaths of 134 people. The Oreva Group, through its subsidiary Ajanta Manufacturing Limited, had been contracted to renovate and repair the bridge, which was originally built during the British colonial era.
On Sunday, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Morbi, MJ Khan, issued an arrest warrant against Patel under section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
"The court issued an arrest warrant against Jaysukh Patel of Oreva Group, which had a contract for the renovation of the Morbi bridge. He has not been arrested for 70 days. No lookout notice issued yet," Government prosecutor Sanjay Vora told ANI yesterday.
Notably, Patel had moved to Morbi sessions court on January 20 for anticipatory bail in the case, while the hearing was adjourned till February 1 as the public prosecutor was not present.
Patel is not named as an accused in the FIR filed by the police in the case.
Nine persons, including four employees of Ajanta Manufacturing (Oreva Group), have been arrested so far in the case. They include two managers and an equal number of ticket booking clerks of the Oreva Group that was managing the British-era bridge.
As many as 134 persons lost their lives after a century-old suspension bridge fell into the Machchhu River of Morbi, Gujarat.
Gujarat High Court on November 7 took suo motu cognisance of the Morbi accident, issuing notices to officials, including those of the state Home department and seeking a report within a week.
The Supreme Court in November said the Morbi bridge collapse incident was an "enormous tragedy", as it asked the Gujarat High Court, which was already holding hearings in the matter suo motu, to hold periodical hearings.
(With inputs from ANI)