Morbi bridge tragedy: Gujarat HC grants bail to two booking clerks

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Friday granted regular bail to the two booking clerks in connection with the Morbi suspension bridge collapse tragedy in which 135 persons were killed on October 30, 2022.
Justice Samir Dave ordered the two clerks – Madevabhai Solanki and Mansukhbhai Topiya – to be released on bail. Earlier the HC had granted bail to three security guards deployed at the bridge on the day of incident. The booking clerks claimed innocence in the case.
During the hearing, other cases related to disasters were discussed in context of invocation of charges against the accused persons.
The judge asked the lawyers, “Shall I observe that section 304A of IPC is applicable in this case?” After brief discussion, the judge said further, “According to this court’s opinion, section 304 of IPC is not applicable. This is in my opinion. But I will not observe this at all (in the bail order).” To this, public prosecutor Mitesh Amin submitted that the high court may not make any such observation about charges applicable in the case, and it should be left for the trial court to decide.
Earlier, victims’ kin objected to the bail pleas by claiming that the booking clerks were black-marketing the tickets. However, they conceded during the hearing on Friday that the chargesheet did not disclose any allegation of black-marketing. It was, however, argued that the role of the accused was much more than merely issuing too many tickets that led to overcrowding on the bridge.
Last month, the HC had granted bail to Alpesh Gohil, Dilip Gohil and Mukesh Chauhan, who were deployed as security guards by the Ajanta Manufacturing Pvt Ltd of Oreva Group, which managed the bridge.
The police arrested 10 persons in this case including Jaysukh Patel, CMD of Oreva Group. All have been charged under the Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 336 (act which endangers human life), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any rash or negligent act) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by doing rash or negligent act).