Bridge collapse: Morbi court rejects Oreva MD’s bail plea

“During a routine check up, the jail doctor detected that Patel’s blood pressure was high and suggested that he be taken to hospital for further check-up. Therefore, Patel was taken to hospital this afternoon. But after check-up, he was brought back to jail,” DM Gohel, jailer of Morbi district told The Indian Express.

Patel and nine other accused arrested in the case are currently lodged in Morbi sub- jail under judicial custody.

The court of principal sessions judge PC Joshi rejected the bail plea Saturday, which was first heard on on March 29. The state had opposed Patel’s plea with the prosecution submitting that Jaysukh’s role in the offence is greater than that of the other nine co-accused in the case and by the principle of parity, the other nine accused have been denied bail by the sessions court.

Patel’s lawyer Rituraj Nanavati said on Saturday that the sessions court has primarily rejected the bail on the ground of Patel being the main accused and looking at the gravity of the offence as well as the fact that the other nine co-accused’s bail pleas were rejected by the court.

The Oreva Group was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bridge that collapsed on October 30 last year.