Ajit Karn
Ahmedabad: The Morbi suspension bridge collapsed in October of last year, killing 135 people. On Wednesday, the Gujarat High Court told the clock company Oreva Group, which was responsible for maintaining the bridge, to pay 10 lakh to the families of each person who died and 2 lakh to each person who was hurt within four weeks.
The company was told to do this by Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt, who made up a split bench.
Last year, on October 30, a suspension bridge built by the British over the Machchhu river in Morbi town fell, killing 135 people and hurting 56 more.
The court told the company to pay 10 lakh to the family of each victim and 2 lakh to each person who was hurt as an interim payment within four weeks.
On Tuesday, during a hearing of a suo moto PIL that was admitted last year after the accident, Ajanta Manufacturing Ltd (Oreva Group) offered to pay 5 lakh to the families of those who died and 1 lakh to those who were hurt.
In its interim order, the court said that the central government and each state government have so far given each victim’s family 10 lakh in compensation.
“The company had offered to give each family of those who died 5 lakh rupees and each person who was hurt 1 lakh rupees. This is not enough, though. The company has to pay 10 lakh to each family of the dead and 2 lakh to each person who was hurt “Justice Gokani said.
A lawyer for the victims, K.R. Koshti, said that many families lost their breadwinners and that many children and women were left to take care of themselves.
In its order, the court also said that the company has offered to take care of seven children who lost their parents in the accident.
The court said, “They (the company) will pay for their education and hold their hand until they can find their place in society.”
The court had already said that Oreva’s offer of compensation “will not get it out of any responsibility.”
The bridge was run and taken care of by Oreva Group, which was led by its MD Jaysukh Patel. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) put together by the state government found that the company did a number of things wrong.
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Morbi police have already arrested 10 people, including Oreva Group’s MD Jaysukh Patel, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 336 (act which endangers human life), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any rash or negligent act), and 338. (causing grievous hurt by doing rash or negligent act).
