Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Court extends police custody of Bhavesh Bhinde till May 30

The hoarding in Ghatkopar had collapsed on a petrol pump. File Pic/Sameer Markande

A court in Mumbai extended the police remand of Bhavesh Bhinde, director of advertising firm Ego Media Pvt Ltd, by one day on Wednesday. Bhinde was arrested on May 16 in connection with the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse that resulted in 17 fatalities.

During Tuesday's court session, the crime branch presented Bhinde to a metropolitan magistrate and asked for an extension of his custody in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse. Police said they needed additional time to face the accused with fresh evidence discovered during the investigation, characterising it as "complex and extensive."

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Given the police's plea, the judge gave Bhinde one additional day of imprisonment, extending it until May 30.

The Ghatkopar hoarding collapse killed 17 people, including the previous general manager of Mumbai Airport ATC and his spouse. Bhinde is accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code.

Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: 306 hoardings on rly land unauthorised; 45 of these are oversized

The BMC's preliminary examination found that all 306 unlawful hoardings in the city were permitted by the Railways and GRP. According to BMC officials, Mumbai has 1,225 hoardings. Following a recent hoarding fall in Ghatkopar, they discovered that those cleared by the BMC are legitimate and within the allowable size of 40 by 40 feet, however, the 306 hoardings permitted by the GRP and Western and Central Railway are illegal and do not have the necessary permissions, stated a mid-day report.

45 of the 306 illegal hoardings are larger than the 40x40 ft maximum size. Following the recent hoarding fall that killed 17 people and injured 80 others, the BMC removed 16 of the 306 unlawful hoardings in Dadar TT and at the BPCL petrol outlet in Ghatkopar.

In 2017, Western Railways and others petitioned the Bombay High Court, arguing that railway authorities should not require permission to raise hoardings on Railways-owned land. The High Court decided that the Railways do not need permission from the BMC to raise hoardings. However, in a March 2024 affidavit, the BMC claimed that the Railways are allowing big hoardings along railway tracks and municipal roadways, creating a safety danger to the public. The case is still pending in court.