It's wilful fraud, not will of God: Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Morbi bridge collapse

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, on Wednesday, reacted to the government's plea to the court about the collapse of the Morbi bridge, which claimed the lives of 135 people, by speculating as to whether it was due to God's will or wilful fraud. She cited a report in which Deepak Parekh, one of the managers of the Oreva company, which was in charge of the bridge's maintenance, was quoted as saying that the unfortunate incident was the 'will of God.'

"So it was God's Will that the contractor did not repair/replace the rusted cable, the contractors were not qualified engineers, and one of the managers overseeing the bridge contract was a media manager in the company rather than an engineer. This is deliberate fraud, not the will of God," Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted. 

The prosecution told the court on Tuesday that the contractors who repaired the bridge were not qualified. It also claimed in court that while the bridge's floor was replaced, the cable was not repaired and could not support the weight of the heavier four-layer aluminium sheet flooring.

Four of the nine arrested were taken into police custody, two managers of the Oreva company and two subcontractors who had repaired the bridge. The other five, including security guards and ticket sales clerks, have been sent to judicial custody.

The roles of the Oreva Group and municipal authorities have come under scrutiny after it was revealed that the Oreva Group manufactures wall clocks and e-bikes. However, the municipal authorities entrusted the bridge's maintenance to this company.

The bridge reopened to the public on October 26, and the Oreva group claimed they had hired experts to repair it. Sandipsinh Zala, chief officer of Morbi municipality, claimed that the corporate house did not obtain a clearance certificate from the civic body before inaugurating the bridge. Oreva's managing director is Jaysukh Patel.

Also read: Morbi bridge collapse: Local lawyers refuse to represent the accused

Also read: Detailed and extensive inquiry must on Morbi bridge collapse: PM Modi

Also read: PM Modi visits Gujarat's Morbi accident site; meets survivors at hospital

• Deepak Parekh
• Morbi bridge collapse
• Priyanka Chaturvedi
• Shiv Sena