Bridge collapse in Gujarat: Oreva Group MD Jaysukh Patel surrenders before court

Oreva Group Managing Director Jaysukh Patel on Tuesday surrendered before a court in Morbi in connection with last year’s suspension bridge collapse tragedy in which 135 people were killed. Patel was named as an accused in the chargesheet filed by police on January 27.

He surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate which had issued an arrest warrant against him. Ajanta Manufacturing Limited (Oreva Group) was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi that collapsed on October 30 last year, days after its repairs.

“Jaysukh Patel surrendered before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) M J Khan which had issued an arrest warrant against him,” said Dilip Agechaniya, a lawyer representing victims in the case. In the chargesheet comprising more than 1,200 pages filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police P S Zala in the CJM’s court, Patel was shown as the tenth accused. He had also moved an anticipatory bail plea fearing arrest.