Jaysukh Patel, the Managing Director of Ajanta Manufacturing Private Limited (AMPL) of OREVA Group, on Tuesday, surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate’s court in connection with the Morbi bridge collapse case that resulted in the death of 135 persons on October 30, 2022.
The development comes just days after Patel was named as an accused in the Morbi tragedy by the Gujarat Police. Patel was the sole accused, out of 10 named so far, who remained free. He was named as an accused on January 25 and an arrest warrant was issued against him by the same court where Patel surrendered today.
As per the probe team, Patel’s name was added as an accused in the chargesheet after documents related to the communications on the repair, operations and management of the bridge were found bearing his signature. All such dealings fell directly under Patel’s purview, the officials said.
Patel moved the Morbi district and sessions court seeking anticipatory bail In January this year. However, Patel surrendered a day ahead of the hearing of the plea which was scheduled for February 1.
The Morbi Police had filed the FIR in the case in October 2022 without naming any specific individual or company. The FIR was filed under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code against the “agencies responsible for maintenance and management” of the bridge “along with others whose names may emerge during the course of the investigation”.
Nine people, including AMPL managers Deepak Parekh and Dineshbhai Dave, two ticket-booking clerks, three security guards posted at the bridge and two private contractors who had carried out repair and maintenance of the bridge between March and October last year, were arrested subsequently. In November, the Morbi police added offences under IPC Sections 336 and 337 (hurt and injury due to negligence) to the FIR following a court nod.