The Patna High Court has directed the Bihar government to submit its report on the immediate action taken for the Bhagalpur bridge collapse incident of June 4, 2023. The bench further directed the Managing Director of the construction firm, S.P. Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd., to be present in the Court in person along with his Expert Team on June 21, 2023.

On finding that the State Government has taken the matter seriously and has also taken action against its authorities and the Company, a bench of Justice Purnendu Singh also remarked, “This Court is shocked by the collapse of constructed part of bridge on June 4, 2023 being constructed over river Ganga to connect the Sultanganj, Bhagalpur district and Aguani Ghat in Khagaria district. Last year also, while the construction work was going on some structure of the bridge had collapsed on April 13, 2022”.

Advocate Nagendra Kumar Singh appeared for the petitioner, and Advocate General P.K.Shahi appeared for the respondent.

In the present matter, the petitioner-a social worker, apart from an enquiry into the matter by a sitting judge of the High Court, had sought directions to the State government to black list the firm S.P. Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd., which was entrusted with the task of constructing 23.16 KM. long four lane Sultanganj, Aguani Ghat Bridge, out of which 3.16 K.M. long bridge is being built across the river Ganga since May 2, 2015 at the estimated cost of Rs.1710 crores.

Further, the petitioner highlighted that a part of the bridge has collapsed twice in the last 14 months due to faulty structural design and sub-standard material being used in the construction.

The petition also seeks adequate compensation to be paid immediately to the guard’s (of the Firm in question) nearest family members, who went missing after bridge collapsed.

The Court also took note of the fact that as per several new newspaper reports, cause of the collapse was the pillars, as it could not bear the load of the superstructure.

“It is also reported in the newspapers that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee has submitted its investigation report in which the defects in design of the bridge have been reported. The project had started in the year, 2014 and was scheduled to be completed in the year, 2019”, the bench further noted.

Therefore, considering the laxity of the authority of the State Government and the Contractor, the bench directed S.P. Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd. to submits its study report relating to construction work carried out at the bridge construction site with respect to specific details.

Cause Title: Lalan Kumar v. The State of Bihar

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Justice Purnendu Singh

Agatha Shukla