Supreme Court terms Morbi bridge collapse as an 'enormous tragedy'

DIRECTS GUJARAT HC TO PERIODICALLY MONITOR PROBE

Takeaways

• “Sometimes, the Commission would just put the issue to the back burner. Sometimes, it is good for the judges to take charge of the proceedings. We would have done it ourselves but now the High Court Chief Justice is dealing with it”
• “It is an enormous tragedy and this will require a weekly monitoring to see award of contract, credentials of party awarded the contract, attribution of responsibility for those guilty. The High Court has taken charge else we would have issued notice”

NEW DELHI: Terming as an “enormous tragedy” the Morbi bridge collapse that claimed 141 lives, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat High Court to periodically monitor the probe and other aspects, including rehabilitation and award of “dignified” compensation to the victims.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli also turned down the submissions that a Commission of Inquiry be appointed to ensure that incidents like the Morbi collapse do not happen again.

“Sometimes, the Commission would just put the issue to the back burner. Sometimes, it is good for the judges to take charge of the proceedings. We would have done it ourselves but now the High Court Chief Justice is dealing with it,” it said.

“It is an enormous tragedy and this will require a weekly monitoring to see award of contract, credentials of party awarded the contract, attribution of responsibility for those guilty. The High Court has taken charge else we would have issued notice,” the bench orally observed during a hearing. The bench also said it would request the High Court to hold periodical hearings.