Complaint filed in Amroli bridge collapse

After a span of more than 30 months, Surat police registered a case in the Amroli bridge mishap. Police have lodged a complaint based on a report given by experts of SVNIT, which was investigating reasons for the bridge collapse.

Cops have also arrested one of the partners of the construction company involved in building the bridge.

In its complaint, Katargam police named proprietors of Rajkamal Builders, labour contractors, supervisors, deputy engineer of SMC Jayesh Gadia, junior engineer A Dixit and a technical supervisor as accused in the case.

Police said that findings by GERY and FSL clearly indicated that the iron structures used to support a bridge's concrete slab was not placed properly.

"The bridge contractor did not follow the proper process, while placing the stages. Civic officials did not pay attention to the same and hence are equally responsible for the collapse," said Vinay Shukla, inspector of Katargam police station. Police on Friday arrested one of the partners of Rajkamal Builders -Mitul Patel.

He was sent to police remand for a day. The incident occurred in June 2008, when the bridge connecting Surat and Amroli (Uttran) collapsed, during construction. A labourer identified as Santosh Gupta, 22, a resident of Jharkhand died on the spot while 11 others were injured. 

Interestingly, SMC formed a team comprising officials of the state road and buildings department, SVNIT and CII Cell (Mumbai), to probe the mishap.

The report claimed the entire incident as an accident.

So the civic authorities did not bother to take any action.