As the death toll from the Morbi suspension bridge collapse on Sunday rose to 134, the Gujarat police on Monday said that it has arrested nine people in connection with the incident, reported news agency ANI. The Gujarat police have arrested the main accused named in its FIR, i.e., the officials of Oreva company, which was given the responsibility for the maintenance and operation of the 140-year-old bridge. The British era bridge was recently renovated and opened to the public five days back. “Among the nine people arrested there are two managers of Oreva company, two ticket clerks along with two contractors and three security guards for negligence,” said Inspector General, Rajkot Range, Ashok Yadav, as reported by ANI.
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Yadav, addressing the media, said that the more people are likely to be arrested as and when new evidence surface up during the course of investigation, adding that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to look into the incident. Earlier in the day, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi tweeted that a five-member probe panel, including top bureaucrats, senior police officials and engineers, have been constituted in the aftermath of the accident.
A criminal case was also filed against those responsible under several sections of the Indian Penal Code including Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (intentional act causing death) and 114 (abettor present when offence committed). CCTV camera footage showed that the bridge was overcrowded and few people were pulling the cables, seconds before it collapsed. “The death toll in the bridge collapse incident has gone up to 134,” Rajkot Range Inspector General Ashok Yadav told PTI.
The FIR filed by the Morbi ‘B’ division police station blamed the “callous approach” of the private agency people, who were hired by the local administration for the maintenance of the bridge, reported PTI. The FIR further stated that the agency was lackadaisical in the management and the quality of repair work, reported PTI.