Bridge inspection rules overlooked: Chargesheet

Mumbai: The Mumbai police Thursday filed a chargesheet against Neeraj Desai, director of the firm that carried out the structural audit of the ill-fated Himalaya foot overbridge (FOB) that collapsed and killed seven persons. The police, in its 709-page chargesheet, claimed that the manual of the Indian Road Congress, which puts down rules to inspect bridges, was not followed.

The Azad Maidan police Thursday filed the chargesheet against Desai, and a supplementary chargesheet against other arrested BMC officials will be filed soon as they were arrested later.

The chargesheet contains a list of 85 witnesses.

According to the police, several guidelines of the Indian Road Congress, the apex body of highway engineers in the country, were not followed.

The report submitted by Desai’s firm said that the bridge was in good condition but it collapsed, resulting in the death of seven persons.

Among others, the police recorded the statements of Geo Dynamics, which conducted the Non-Destructive Test (NDT), and two eyewitnesses.

The investigation revealed that the NDT was conducted at 16 spots, save for the portion of the bridge which collapsed.

According to the chargesheet, the base of the bridge, also called the deck, was not audited.

According to the police, the report from VJTI is awaited and the report of the cement slab and other construction material used to build the bridge from the forensic lab is also yet to arrive.

Desai has been charged under section 304(2) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt).