PTI

Morbi (Gujarat), November 2

A supervisor of the Oreva group, one of many 9 individuals arrested in reference to collapse of a suspension bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi city, sought reduction from an area courtroom claiming the tragedy which has claimed 135 lives was an “act of God”, the prosecution mentioned on Wednesday.

Chief Judicial Magistrate M J Khan had on Tuesday remanded 4 of the arrested accused — two managers of the Oreva group and two sub-contractors who had repaired the ill-fated bridge — in police custody until Saturday (November 5). The different 5 accused have been remanded in judicial custody and despatched to jail.

The British-era carriageway, constructed on the river Machchhu, had collapsed on Sunday night, killing 135 individuals, together with girls and youngsters.

In their defence throughout arguments on remand software on Tuesday, one of many Oreva managers had sought reduction on the bottom that he was simply doing the job given to him by the corporate and the tragedy was merely an “act of God”, public prosecutor HS Panchal informed reporters right here.

He additionally knowledgeable that the police have added Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 336 and 337 within the FIR (first info report) associated to the case following a preliminary probe.

Both the sections take care of punishment associated to rash or negligent acts which might endanger human life or the non-public security of others.

Meanwhile, Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality Sandipsinh Zala on Wednesday appeared earlier than Investigative Officer PS Zala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and submitted some essential paperwork associated to the contract given to Oreva for the bridge’s renovation.

Police had on Monday booked the 9 arrested individuals below IPC Section 304 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide), amongst others, after the tragic incident.

The 4 accused remanded in police custody have been Oreva managers Dipak Parekh and Dinesh Dave, and restore contractors Prakash Parmar and Devang Parmar, employed by the Ahmedabad-headquartered company group.

Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, Panchal had informed the courtroom on Tuesday that consultants believed the tragedy occurred after the primary cable of the bridge snapped due to the load of the brand new flooring.

The courtroom was additionally knowledgeable that each the repairing contractors have been “not qualified” to hold out such a piece.