ACB Gujarat summons retd R&B engineer, others in Gambhira Bridge collapse case

Ahmedabad: Following the tragic Gambiri Bridge accident that claimed 22 lives, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has intensified its investigation. The agency summoned suspended Executive Engineer N.M. Nayakwala for questioning. Nayakwala was interrogated for over seven and a half hours, and his statement was recorded. Additionally, retired Road & Building (R&B) engineer K.B. Thorat, who is currently abroad, has come under scrutiny.

The Gambiri Bridge accident led to the suspension of several officials, including N.M. Nayakwala, current Deputy Executive Engineer U.C. Patel, former Deputy Executive Engineer R.T. Patel, and Assistant Engineer J.V. Shah. All four engineers are now under ACB investigation.

Authorities have sought court approval to examine the homes, offices, bank accounts, and assets of the suspended engineers. According to an ACB official, Assistant Engineer J.V. Shah was summoned for statement recording. Nayakwala was questioned in detail about his assets, investments, locker and bank account details, and related information.

The investigation revealed that retired engineer K.B. Thorat, who voluntarily retired a year ago, had inspected the Gambiri Bridge in 2023-24 and prepared reports for two consecutive years. Despite his retirement, the ACB believes Thorat demonstrated negligence during his tenure. Consequently, he has been included in the ongoing probe. The bureau is also investigating Thorat’s overseas travel and whether he left the country after the bridge collapse, as he had provided information about the bridge to certain individuals. If he went abroad post-accident, it may indicate an attempt to evade the investigation. DeshGujarat