Morbi Bridge Collapse: 9 Arrested, Including Security Guard and Ticket Sellers

Nine people have been arrested in Gujarat in the Morbi bridge collapse incident which claimed over 141 lives.

Rescue operations underway.

(Photo: Himanshi Dahiya/The Quint)

Nine people have so far been arrested in Gujarat in the Morbi bridge collapse incident which claimed over 135 lives on Sunday, 30 October.

Ashok Yadav, the inspector general of Rajkot range, told news agency ANI, "We arrested nine people after filing FIR under various sections of IPC."

The contract for the renovation of the 19th-century colonial suspended bridge had been given to Oreva Group in 2020, for which work began in March 2022.

The bridge was opened for the public on 26 October on the occasion of the Gujarati New Year. An FIR has also been filed against the company.

The arrested include two managers of Oreva company, two repair contractors, three security guards, and two ticket sellers.

The First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against the hanging bridge repair agency, its management, and any person whose name is disclosed in the investigation, under the following Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections:

• Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder)

• Section 308 (intentional act causing death)

• Section 114 (abettor present when offence committed)

Lapses in repair work, maintenance, and mismanagement or other technical reasons were the reasons for the collapse of the bridge, according to Gujarat Police in the FIR.

Sandeepsinh Zala, the chief officer of the Morbi Municipal Corporation, alleged to The Quint that "The Oreva group did not procure a fitness certificate for re-opening of the bridge." He told the media that over 500 tickets were sold for the bridge which can only support batches of 20-25 people at a time.

The arrested include:

• Dipakbhai Navinchandra Parekh

• Dineshbhai Mahasukhray Dave

• Mansukhbhai Topiya

• Madebhai Lakhabhai Solanki

• Prakashbhai Laljibhai Parmar

• Dewangbhai Prakashbhai Parmar

• Alpeshbhai Galabhai Gohil

• Dilipbhai Galabhai Gohil

• Mukeshbhai Dalsingbhai Chauhan

The Managing Director of the company, Jaysukhbhai Patel, has not been arrested.