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Bhopal rail overbridge had a 118° turn, not 90°, says MP high court-appointed expert
Jabalpur bench of Madhya Pradesh HC appointed an expert after the ROB’s architectural firm M/s Puneet Chaddha challenged the MP government’s action against them
The new rail overbridge (ROB) in the Aishbagh area of Bhopal, which became the talk of social media over its sharp turn, measures between 118° and 119° and not 90°, an expert appointed by the Madhya Pradesh high court said on Wednesday.
The Jabalpur bench of Madhya Pradesh HC, had appointed a Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) professor as an expert after the ROB’s architectural firm M/s Puneet Chaddha challenged the MP government’s action against them.
He submitted his report before the division bench of chief justice Sanjeev Sachdev and justice Vinay Saraf on Wednesday.
“The report presented to the court confirmed that the flyover bridge was constructed according to the map and design given by the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD), which specifies an angle between 118 and 119 degrees,” counsel for the architectural firm Praveen Dubey said.
In light of the expert’s findings, the MP government requested time to reconsider its action taken against the company. The division bench on Wednesday accepted the request and scheduled the next hearing for September 17.
The court also directed that the expert report be shared with all the parties involved, including the Madhya Pradesh government and the architectural company.
M/s Puneet Chaddha got the contract for the construction of the flyover in the Aishbagh area in the year 2021–22. The flyover was to be constructed in 18 months. The GAD of the bridge was issued by the government. After this, the GAD was amended in the years 2023 and 2024. The bridge was constructed accordingly.
The 648-metre long and 8.5-metre wide bridge, built at a cost of ₹18 crore was scheduled to be inaugurated on June 15. However, before the official ceremony, images of the bridge’s flawed design went viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism.
The government constituted a five-member committee for investigation, which found lack of coordination between the state government and the railway department. On the basis of the report of the investigation committee, the government also blacklisted architectural firm M/s Puneet Chaddha and design consultant M/s Dynamic Consultant.
Seven engineers of the Public Works Department, including two chief engineers, were also suspended with immediate effect over serious negligence. A departmental inquiry is being conducted against a retired superintendent.
