Jaysukh Patel, the head of Oreva Group, the clock-making firm responsible for maintenance of the suspension bridge in Morbi town which collapsed about three months ago killing 135 people, has moved an anticipatory bail application in a sessions court. The court is likely to hear the plea on Saturday.
Patel has remained underground ever since the incident. His name doesn't figure in the list of nine accused arrested by the local police. According to police, Patel's move to file anticipatory comes in view of the fact that police are going to file its chargesheet anytime in next one week.
Local sources said that as per the procedure period of filing chargesheet in three months will be over by the end of January. They said that Patel has moved the court anticipating his name as an accused and his possible arrest. Despite repeated attempts, senior police officers didn't respond to calls.
Last month, a division bench of Gujarat high court issued notice to Jaysukh Patel on a petition to join him as a party in the ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) taken suo motu by Gujarat high court. During the hearings, Morbi municipality blamed Oreva group for reopened the suspension bridge for public without seeking "prior approval" and "without letting it know about the kind of repairing work which was stated to have been carried out by the Company as well as without providing any independent third party's certificate/s relating to material testing, structure fitness, holding Capacity and fitness, stability of the said Suspension Bridge."
The municipality is also under the scanner for their role. The state government on January 18 issued a show cause notice as why the civic body shouldn't be dissolved for failing in discharging its duty. The government has said the investigation revealed that civic body officials knew that the bridge was in dilapidated condition but didn't heed for several years.
So far, the local police have arrested only nine accused that includes two managers of Oreva Group-Dinesh Dave and Dipak Parekh, subcontractor and proprietor of Dev Prakash Solutions, the private firm which undertook the repair and maintenance work.
Other accused include Prakash Parmar, Mansukh Topiya, Mahadev Solanki, Alpesh Gohil, Dilip Gohil and Mukesh Chauhan who worked as ticket clerks and security guards at the suspension bridge. They are behind the bars since the arrest as their bail applications have been rejected by the court.