A supplementary charge sheet has been filed in a court here against Oreva Group MD Jaysukh Patel in the case related to the last year’s Morbi suspension bridge collapse which claimed 135 lives.
Police filed the supplementary charge sheet in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate M J Khan on Thursday, Patel’s lawyer Haresh Mehta said.
Following which, Patel’s case was committed (transferred) to the sessions court on Friday for trial against him and nine other accused, he added.
“The matter will be now heard in the court of principal district and sessions judge P C Joshi from March 17,” advocate Mehta said.
A special investigation team had on January 27 filed a charge sheet against the nine accused arrested earlier in the case. Patel was then shown as a fugitive. He later surrendered before a court and was arrested by the police on January 31.
He and others were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 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).
Patel’s plea for interim bail was recently rejected by a court.
The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi town collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing 135 persons and injuring 56 others.
Oreva group had taken up the responsibility of operating and maintaining the bridge.
