By D N Singh
Jaysukh Patel, the MD of Oreva Group was made the prime accused of Morbi tragedy, in which 135 people, including 50 children were killed. The charge sheet goes on for 1262 pages.
Even Patel, the abettor, was present when the tragedy occurred that brings him under Section 114. Nobody from any other side!
Before that, a cursory glance gets us to know that, Morbi Bridge, a colonial era suspension bridge was for repair and bids were invited. And that being a centurial structure, above a fierce some river flowing below, it could not have been contracted out to a company who had no relationship with any such job at all.
That brings the Nagarpalika into the picture and the district administration cannot skirt away from their moral reasoning behind awarding as sensitive as Morbi suspension bridge work to anyone other than the ones with right expertise (proven track record) in such work.
That was ignored literally and admittedly, Patel has said that, he obtained the contract by using ‘influence’. Whose influence and why? Obviously from none outside the political or administrative dispensations.
Are such people or official wing come under the purview of the probe, be it the police or any other agency. That question remains hidden still. They have not come into the picture anywhere with the due diligence.
“When 135 people met such a tragic death, first it should have been investigated by any nationally reputed agency under judicial supervision but that was soft-pedalled” said Bhargav Parikh, journalist and political analysts in Gujarat.
Parikh hurried to add that, ”as because the Assembly polls were close by, the issue was let to be cold-shouldered by all and mainly the BJP”.
Surprisingly, the AAP and the Congress were unable to kick the dust even for a while.
It is said that in a crime, an abettor is equally culpable or do merit the condemnation as the perpetrator of the crime.
The probes by the police has not hammered on the two aspects and time will tell what else Patel has to reveal during the further grilling.
More number the pages of the charge-sheet, lesser becomes the sting of the pain of who lost their people. From manufacturing clocks to restructuring a suspension bridge, the State still fails to measure the hiatus between the both.
