There is an arrest warrant out for Jaysukh Patel, a promoter of Oreva Group which was responsible for the upkeep of the Morbi bridge that tragically collapsed in October last year.
Details: The Gujarat Police issued the warrant on Sunday, 22 January, according to a report by The Hindu.
The warrant was authorised after Patel reportedly failed to comply with police summons to appear for interrogation
A lookout circular has also been issued by the police against Patel
Why it matters: The collapse of the colonial-era hanging bridge had resulted in the deaths of 140 people. Oreva Group was in-charge of renovating and repairing the bridge.
This seems to be the first instance of police action against a promoter of the Gujarat-based company.
The story so far: After the tragedy, the Gujarat government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the collapse of the bridge.
The SIT found that there were several lapses in the repair, maintenance, and operational work undertaken by Oreva Group of the Morbi bridge.
Those who have been arrested include four employees, two managers, two ticket-booking clerks, and a security guard, among others.
What next? Patel has sought anticipatory bail from a local court which is set to hear the matter on 1 February.
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