Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Accused brought to Mumbai, to be presented in court today

Bhavesh Bhinde. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of the advertising business responsible for the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse that killed 16 people, has been taken to Mumbai and is scheduled to appear in court later today, according to a police officer.

Bhinde, the director of M/s Ego Media Pvt Ltd and the main accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, was caught in Udaipur, Rajasthan on Thursday. The hoarding, newly constructed by his company, collapsed on Monday evening in Ghatkopar, killing 16 people and injuring 75 others.

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After being apprehended in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, Bhinde was brought to Ahmedabad and subsequently flown to Mumbai. He landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport around 5 am on Friday and was then transported to a criminal branch office.

The incident occurred when the 120-foot-by-120-foot hoarding toppled onto a nearby petrol pump during strong winds and severe unseasonal rainfall. In the aftermath, a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was filed against Bhinde and other Ego Media directors and workers at the Pant Nagar Police Station.

Allegations of corruption surface in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse

Ajay Bose, a former parcel supervisor at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), claims that Bhavesh Bhinde, the head of Ego Media Pvt. Ltd. and an aspiring MLA, bribed top railway officials to avoid paying licence fees for his advertising firm. Bhinde was recently detained in Udaipur in connection with the Ghatkopar billboard incident, which killed 16 people, stated a mid-day report.

According to the report, out of curiosity, Bose filed an RTI application in 2019 to learn about unpaid licence fees owed by advertising firms. He discovered that important files relating to overdue fees, including Bhinde's, were gone. Bose expressed alarm about the missing data and filed complaints against the then-senior DCM, Narendar Panwar, for allegedly allowing defaulters to function without paying fees.

According to the RTI reply, the files of three advertising agencies, including Bhinde's, were missing. These agencies owed significant amounts in outstanding dues to Railways. Bose alleges collusion between Panwar and advertising contractors, causing severe losses to the railway exchequer.

Bose claims that defaulters evade fees during their contract period and seek relief through arbitration afterwards. He alleges that defaulters change agency names or file documents under different names to avoid payment, with the complicity of government officials, the report added.

Bose vows to pursue the matter and holds officials accountable for corruption.