Ahmedabad, Feb 22 The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday ordered the Oreva group to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to each victim's kin and Rs 2 lakh in compensation to the injured, and ordered the company to deposit Rs 5 crore within four weeks.
On the evening of October 30, 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.
The first division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt, while directing to pay Rs 10 lakh to each victim's kin, cited the Supreme Court's observation for compensation in such tragedies: "In such tragedies, a private party must pay 55 per cent of the compensation out of its own pocket, and the remaining 45 per cent be paid by state funds."
It also pointed out, "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."
The Oreva group's proposal to pay Rs 5 lakh to each victim's kin and Rs 1 lakh to the injured was rejected by the court.
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