Morbi Bridge collapse: Gujarat HC orders Oreva Group to double its first offer – Rs 10 lakh each to kin

The Morbi Bridge calamity killing 135 people in Gujarat in October 2021 due to poor infrastructure was heavily criticized.  “The company had offered to give Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives and Rs 1 lakh to those injured. However, the High Court said it is not enough and said, “Oreva’s offer of compensation “will not absolve it of any liability”.  A division bench of Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt gave this direction to the company.

In its interim order, the court said the central and the state governments have together provided Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each victim so far.

“The company had offered to give Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives and Rs 1 lakh to those injured. However, this is not enough. The company has to pay Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the victims and Rs 2 lakhs to those injured,” Justice Gokani said.  Advocate K R Koshti, who represented the victims, had said that several families have lost their bread-winning members, and many children and women were left to fend for themselves.

The court also noted in its order that the company has offered to take responsibility of seven children who were orphaned in the tragedy.

“They (company) will pay for education and hold their hand till they find footing in the society,” the court said.

The bench had earlier made it clear that Oreva’s offer of compensation “will not absolve it of any liability”.

The firm had initially offered to pay Rs 5 lakh to the families of those who died and Rs 1 lakh to the injured people.  The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday directed clock manufacturing firm Oreva Group, the company that maintained the Morbi suspension bridge which collapsed killing 135 people in October last year, to pay Rs 10 lakh as “interim” compensation to the kin of each deceased and Rs 2 lakh to each injured within four weeks.

The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu River in Morbi Town collapsed on October 30 last year, killing 135 persons and injuring 56 others.

Oreva Group, led by its MD Jaysukh Patel, was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bridge. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state government has pointed out several lapses on the part of the firm.

Morbi police have already arrested 10 accused, 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 under 338 (causing grievous hurt by doing rash or negligent act).

The Morbi bridge collapse was termed as culpable homicide.

The 143-year-old bridge which was 4 feet wide had a capacity of just 100 people but tickets were being sold until the bridge collapsed with nearly 500 people on it. The ticket for children was priced at Rs 12 and for adults, it was Rs 17.