AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday ordered the Oreva group to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each victim's family and Rs 2 lakh to those who have been injured. The company was also directed to deposit Rs 5 crore with the court within four weeks towards compensation.
Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt, while directing the Oreva group to pay compensation to kith and kin of victims, noted, "This is just an attempt to provide relief to the victims as their lives are completely disrupted."
"Nobody can compensate them, this is just an attempt," they added.
While fixing the compensation amount, the court quoted the Supreme Court's observation on compensation in such tragedies. "In such tragedies, a private party must pay 55% of the compensation out of its own pocket, and the remaining 45% be paid by state funds."
On the evening of October 30th, 135 visitors, including 35 children, were killed when the suspension bridge over the Machchu River in Morbi town collapsed. The repair and maintenance contract of the bridge was awarded to the Oreva group, which, without getting a fitness certificate and without Morbi Nagarpalika's approval, opened the bridge for visitors.
Even the state government's submission was taken on record, stating that the state government has already paid Rs 8 lakh in compensation to each victim's kin and Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister Relief Fund.
Despite the fact that the court recorded Oreva's offer of compensation, in which it wished to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to all 135 victims, for which it is willing to release Rs 5 crore and Rs 1 lakh to the injured, and will care for seven orphan children until they reach the age of majority, the court rejected the proposal.
On the other hand, the victim's family members were expecting compensation in the wake of the Uphar cinema tragedy.
Outside the high court, the state government's appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a chargesheet against Oreva Group managing director Jaysukh Patel and eight others for negligence on January 31st. The SIT determined Patel to be the primary accused.
The investigation and FSL team findings stated in the report, "Though corrosion was found on one of the main cables of the suspension bridge, he did not replace it."
"This bridge required expert engineers, he simply got repaired with ordinary fabricators and put the lives of visitors at risk."