MORBI: The Morbi chief judicial magistrate’s court Wednesday remanded Oreva Group’s CMD Jaysukh Patel in police custody till February 8, accepting the prosecution’s request for time to collect evidence of a possible collusion between the company and people in the administration to reopen the rickety British-era suspension footbridge that collapsed on October 30 last year. The police had sought his custody for 14 days. Patel, who was allegedly absconding since the evening of the disaster that cost 135 lives, surrendered in court Tuesday, a day before his anticipatory bail plea was to be heard. His group’s flagship company Ajanta, the world’s largest clockmaker, had been contracted to maintain and operate the footbridge.
The special public prosecutor told chief judicial magistrate M J Khan that it needed to be investigated how more than 400 people were allowed on the bridge when its capacity was not more than 100. The police also need time to check allegedly unaudited financial accounts pertaining to the bridge for the period 2017-2022, he said.
The special public prosecutor told chief judicial magistrate M J Khan that it needed to be investigated how more than 400 people were allowed on the bridge when its capacity was not more than 100. The police also need time to check allegedly unaudited financial accounts pertaining to the bridge for the period 2017-2022, he said.
