Ahmedabad court seeks report on Hatkeshwar bridge from AMC engineer
The accused proprietors, in their submission for bail before the court, have pointed out how the design of the flyover, as approved by the state’s road and buildings department and made by a firm named DELF, did not adhere to specifications as prescribed under the IRC 21-2000 code.
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The direction came during a hearing of the bail pleas moved by three of the accused directors of Ajay Engi-Infrastructure Private Limited (AEIPL) that was awarded the tender and contract for the bridge that began to break within four years of its inauguration. A local sessions court Thursday directed the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to submit reports prepared by the civic body before and after the filing of the police complaint with respect to the deterioration of the Hatkeshwar bridge.
The direction came during a hearing of the bail pleas moved by three of the accused directors of Ajay Engi-Infrastructure Private Limited (AEIPL) that was awarded the tender and contract for the bridge that began to break within four years of its inauguration.
AEIPL chairman Ramesh Patel (69), his sons Kalpesh (43) and Chirag (46), and another director Rasikbhai Patel (61) are facing charges under IPC sections 406 and 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) in an FIR lodged by the Khokhra police station in April. Chirag, Rasikbhai and Ramesh have moved bail pleas before the Ahmedabad sessions court after filing the chargesheet.
The accused proprietors, in their submission for bail before the court of additional sessions judge Paresh Sayani, have pointed out how the design of the flyover, as approved by the state’s road and buildings department and made by a firm named DELF, did not adhere to specifications as prescribed under the IRC 21-2000 code.
IRC 21-2000 stipulates that for controlling cracking in concrete flyover slabs, the spacing of reinforcing bars in slabs shall not exceed 150 mm respectively. According to the AEIPL proprietors, the design had kept this spacing at 200 mm, against the IRC code stipulations.
The sessions court Thursday directed Ahmedabad city engineer to furnish reports prepared by the civic body before and after filing of the complaint that details the reasons as to why the cracking and deterioration of the bridge occurred and who is responsible for the same. The court also directed the AMC city engineer to submit an administrative action taken report in this regard. The court has sought that the records be submitted by September 15. The court had earlier orally sought that the city engineer remain present before the court and passed the direction while observing that despite the oral instructions to submit the report, “till today, no such reports have been produced on record.”
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