Mangaluru, June 26: MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has alleged that the Mullarapatna Bridge, which was the first bridge to be a victim of sand mafia, the negligence of officials has also caused the incident.

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, he said that the locals had sent a video to authorities two years ago, in which the damage caused by the sand mining, and weak pillars were shown. But the district administration did not stop sand mining which was going on near the bridge using machines. Sand mining took place continuously in the past with the support of the people who were in position earlier. The authorities must take precautionary steps well in advance. Now the bridge is collapsed which may disrupt traffic movement for nearly two years. 

"Now I have visited along with local MLA and instructed to provide a temporary arrangement," MP Nalin added.

Bridges that crossed 15 years must be inspected

"Gurupur Bridge is also posing a threat. Already a tender of Rs. 33 crore has been passed. Work is in progress. Even then it is the responsibility of the authorities to safeguard the bridge on an emergency basis. Meanwhile, the district officials along with experts must inspect those bridges that were constructed 15 years ago," MP Nalin Kumar added. 

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Ahmedabad (PTI): The Ahmedabad police have arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly posed as a senior revenue official and used fake letters claiming to be from various government departments to cheat people, an official said on Sunday.

Mehul Shah, an engineer who manages two schools at Vankaner in Gujarat’s Morbi district, is accused of making lakhs of rupees with bogus documents and false claims, said inspector (crime branch) JK Makwana.

Shah had forged an appointment letter from the Ahmedabad district education officer (DEO) to offer a computer operator’s job in a government office to a complainant’s son. He also introduced himself as a trustee of a school and did not pay a man Rs 7 lakh due to him over the painting of a school building, the official said.

“Despite holding no official position in the state or central government, he used fake work permits and NOCs to cheat people of lakhs of rupees,” the police official said.

One complainant alleged that Shah identified himself as a top revenue department official and produced a fake letter from the chairman of the “department of science and research development” to make him install a siren and curtain in a hired vehicle but did not pay for the job, he said.

Bogus letters claiming to be from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ahmedabad DEO were used by the accused to cheat the complainants, the police official said.

Police have recovered from his possession fake identity cards and letters with headings like “bharat gaurav ratna shri samman council”, “chairman of department of science and research development”, “health and family welfare department”, and “road and building department”.

“The FIR is based on complaints by three victims. We appeal to the people to come forward and submit their complaints if they have been cheated by Shah in any way,” Makwana said.