Morbi Bridge Tragedy: Gujarat High Court Issues Notice To State Govt In Bail Pleas Filed By 7 Accused

Admitting bail applications of 7 accused in the Morbi Bridge Collapse case which took the lives of 135 people, the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the State Government (returnable on January 2, 2023).

Out of 8 accused arrested in connection with the case, 7 have now moved to the High Court after they were denied bail by a Sessions Court last month.

The names of the accused are Devang Parmar, Dinesh Dave and Dipak Parekh (managers of the Oreva Group), Prakash Parmar (subcontractor), Alpesh Gohil, Mansukh Topiya, Mahadev Solanki, Mukesh Chauhan, Dilip Gohil (ticket booking clerks/security guards). They all have been booked under sections 304, 308, 336, 337, and 114 of the IPC.

When their matter came up before the Court on December 13, the Bench of Justice Samir J. Dave issued a notice to the State government. 

The 141-year-old suspension bridge hanging over the Machchuu River reopened two weeks ago (before it collapsed on October 30) after repairs and maintenance by the Oreva company. The Gujarat High Court is presently hearing a suo moto case pertaining to this incident.