The lackadaisical approach on part of the management of Oreva company resulting in "one of the most severe and tragic human calamities" cannot be countenanced, the SIT said.
Ajanta Manufacturing Limited (Oreva Group) was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi that collapsed on October 30 last year, days after its repairs.
The 35-year-old spokesperson of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC underwent a heart surgery recently and was on a private visit to Jaipur, sources said.
Morbi-based clock and e-bike maker Oreva group was given a contract by the Morbi municipality to repair and operate the ill-fated hanging bridge for 15 years and charge tickets in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 15 for its use, as per documents of the municipality accessed on Monday.
The over a century-old bridge, which had reopened five days ago after extensive repairs and renovation, was crammed with people when it collapsed around 6.30 pm on Sunday.
Four persons were arrested on Monday in connection with the collapse of the cable suspension bridge on the Machchu river in Morbi in Gujarat in which 134 people were killed, the police said.
Just before the bridge collapsed, CCTV footage showed, some men were trying to rock the suspension bridge from one side to another.
In a tweet, TMC national spokesperson and Rajya Dabha MP Derek O'Brien detailed the circumstances under which the arrest was made.
The Gujarat high court on Tuesday heard a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on Morbi bridge tragedy and asked the state government as to how no expression of interest was tendered, and how the 'largesse of the state' was given to an individual without floating a tender.
The court ordered that every injured person should be paid interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the Morbi bridge collapse site and reviewed the ongoing search and rescue operations.
'Today, our hearts are with India. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the bridge collapse and join the people of Gujarat in mourning the loss of too many lives cut short,' Biden said.
The bridge, which was recently reopened for public after renovation, collapsed as it could not bear the weight of the people standing on it, officials said.
Habibul had gone to visit the suspension bridge on Machchhu river on Sunday evening when the incident took place.
Authorities in Gujarat have closed five bridges on the Narmada canals after inspections revealed they were unsafe for vehicular traffic. Heavy vehicles are banned from other bridges, and repairs are ordered for dozens more.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday night chaired a meeting on the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat and asked authorities to extend all possible help to those affected by the tragedy, officials said.
In his condolence message, Israeli Prime Minister Lapid said that the thoughts and prayers of all Israelis are with the people of India following yesterday's devastating bridge collapse in Gujarat.
The civic body submitted the affidavit before a division bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri which is hearing a suo motu (on its own) case on the collapse of the bridge.
Congress, AAP, and Patidar leaders in Gujarat have criticized MNS chief Raj Thackeray for his comments about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, demanding a ban on his entry to Gujarat and an FIR against him.
While the flooring of the bridge was replaced, its cable was not replaced and it could not take the weight of the changed flooring, said the prosecution, citing a forensic report.
Chief Judicial Magistrate MJ Khan sent Patel in the custody of the special investigation team formed by the state government to probe the case till February 8.
The incident occurred when the Surat police was conducting a mock drill for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city.
The Election Commission on Thursday said that there were 'multiple factors' leading to the delay in the announcement of the Gujarat assembly polls, adding that the recent Morbi bridge collapse tragedy was one of them.
The charge-sheet, which runs into more than 1,200 pages, was filed in the Morbi sessions court by Deputy Superintendent of Police P S Zala, who is the investigating officer of the case.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would list for hearing on November 14 a PIL seeking constitution of a judicial commission to probe the Morbi bridge collapse incident in Gujarat.
On November 1, Tiwari had mentioned the matter for urgent listing, and the top court had said it would take up the matter soon.
Apart from the 10 persons arrested so far, those found guilty of negligence in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report should also be arrested and punished, said a man who lost his 10-year-old daughter in the tragedy.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent condolence messages to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was shocked to learn about the deadly bridge collapse in Gujarat's Morbi city that claimed 135 lives.
Gujarat assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya, who won from Bhuj seat of Kutch district in 2012 and 2017, has also been denied ticket this time by the party.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli said that as a division bench headed by the Gujarat high court Chief Justice has already taken a suo motu note of the incident and has passed several orders, it will not hear the petitions as of now.
The Gujarat high court agreed to the Oreva group's offer on Wednesday to pay compensation to the victims of the Morbi bridge collapse that left 135 dead and several injured but said it will "not absolve it of any liability".
The death toll in the Mahisagar river bridge collapse in Gujarat's Vadodara district climbed to 19 on Friday after one of the injured persons succumbed to injuries at a hospital, officials said.
The death toll in the collapse of a bridge over the Mahisagar river in Gujarat's Vadodara district has risen to 15. Rescue operations are ongoing to find the missing.
An activist claims to have alerted officials about the dangerous condition of a bridge in Gujarat's Vadodara district three years before it collapsed, resulting in 15 deaths. The activist alleges that despite warnings, no timely action was taken.
The deceased included five women, they said, adding that two labourers were pulled out alive from the rubble and hospitalised.
Bhavnagar was also one of the worst affected districts, they said, adding that more downpour is likely over the next four day in parts of the state.
Gandhi refused to comment on the tragedy in Morbi where a bridge collapsed leaving more than 130 dead.
Mock drills were conducted on Saturday in states and Union territories adjoining the western border -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- to enhance wartime emergency preparedness and response capabilities, officials said.
Principal district and sessions judge P C Joshi said he will pass order on the bail plea of the ninth accused, Devang Parmar, on Thursday.
'Modi and BJP have fooled us enough by creating a Hindu-Muslim divide. Our anger is about jobs and farmers getting a good price, but Shah needs to be taught a lesson for betraying us.'
