The collapse of a key footbridge at the city's most prominent and bustling train station "was probably an act of God", said the lawyer of the Neeraj Desai, the bridge's auditor, while seeking his bail. Desai, one of the directors of M/s DD Desai's Associated Engineering Consultants and Analysts Pvt Ltd, was arrested on Monday on the charge of negligence. His firm had carried out a structural audit of the bridge and declared it to be in good condition, prosecutor Rajendra Suryawanshi told the court on Tuesday. But Desai's lawyer argued that he had submitted a report to the BMC stating that the bridge required repairs. In his bail application, Desai stated that as one of the directors, he had submitted the company's tender to audit the bridges to the BMC on March 14, 2016, which got approved on September 17, 2016. He said that the power of attorney was made in his name to execute the work. "The BMC's Chief Engineer gave the work order to the company... Desai, in the capacity of the company, carried out the survey and inspection of the foot overbridge at CST station at DN Road," the plea said. "(He) submitted... the complete structural and audit report with the photographs to the BMC on August 6, 2018 clearly mentioning the FOB required repairs," it said. But a police officer said that BMC Chief Engineer (Bridges) Sanjay Darade has stated the company did not conduct the audit in the required manner and the bridge portion that collapsed was not inspected." Desai's lawyers Robert Sequera and Srushti Thakkar argued for bail saying he was cooperating with the police, and that the BMC was trying to "find a scapegoat." The court, though, has remanded Desai in police custody till March 25. ABRIDGED VERSION Six people were killed and over 30 injured after a portion of a foot overbridge leading to and from CSMT gave way on the evening of March 14

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