Court Rejects Discharge Plea of Patel, Others in Morbi Bridge Collapse Case
Morbi (Gujarat), April 29 – A local court in Morbi on Tuesday dismissed the discharge plea filed by Jaysukh Patel, Managing Director of the Oreva Group, and nine other accused seeking relief from charges of culpable homicide in connection with the 2022 Morbi suspension bridge collapse that claimed 135 lives.
The tragedy occurred on October 30, 2022, when a colonial-era suspension bridge over the Machchhu River collapsed, leading to one of Gujarat’s most devastating civic disasters in recent history.
Principal Sessions Judge D. P. Mahida rejected the pleas, which sought discharge under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused had not contested charges filed under Sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life), and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed).
Government prosecutor Vijay Jani stated that the maximum punishment under Section 304 is life imprisonment, while Section 308 carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
“Now that the court has rejected their discharge plea, charges will be formally framed against the accused, and the trial will commence,” said Jani.
Jaysukh Patel, whose company Oreva was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bridge, was granted bail by the Supreme Court in March 2024. The company had signed a 15-year agreement with the Morbi municipality for the upkeep of the bridge, which had recently reopened after repairs before the incident occurred.
Two petitions are currently pending before the Supreme Court—one filed by a victims' association and another individual—seeking to include the Morbi municipality and the then district collector as accused in the case.
Out of the ten accused, eight have been granted bail by the Gujarat High Court. These include two managers and two clerks of the Oreva Group, three security guards, and one painter involved in bridge maintenance. One accused remains in judicial custody.
