Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Shiv Sena claims man behind hoarding tragedy associated with Uddhav Thackeray camp

Uday Samant. File Pic

The ruling Shiv Sena on Tuesday claimed Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the advertising agency linked to the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse tragedy in Mumbai, was associated with the rival camp led by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant shared a photograph of Bhinde alongside Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray to back his party's assertion.

Bhinde is the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agency which had allegedly put up the hoarding that crashed on a petrol pump in suburban Ghatkopar on Monday evening, killing 14 people. He is absconding since Ghatkopar hoarding collapse tragedy.

"Initially assigned duties within the Sena (UBT), Bhinde was given the responsibility of installing hoardings in Mumbai. Exploiting his access to hoarding spaces allocated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Bhinde illicitly utilised them for (displaying greeting) for Sena (UBT)'s leaders' birthdays and election campaigns," Samant claimed.

Rejecting the claim, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said his party is not controlling the BMC for the last two and half years. It is the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP that controls the civic body through an administrator.

"Bhavesh Bhinde wields considerable political influence. He's merely a pawn, and it's imperative to uncover the true owner and mastermind behind the hoardings. As many as 21 have been cases filed against Bhinde for erecting unauthorised hoardings and causing environmental damage," Shiv Sena minister Samant claimed.

A case has been registered against Bhinde for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at the Pant Nagar police station after the hoarding tragedy.

At least 14 died people and 75 others were injured after the 120x120 feet hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar due to gusty winds and unseasonal rains. Civic officials have said the billboard was illegal.

The search and rescue operation at the site of the collapse of a giant hoarding in Ghatkopar continued even 30 hours after the incident and may go on for a few more hours, officials said on late Tuesday evening as the death toll in the tragedy rose to 14.

Victims trapped under as much as 90 percent of the 120 x 120 feet hoarding have been rescued but search was yet to be conducted under its central part, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The illegal hoarding that stood on a piece of land in possession of Government Railway Police (GRP) crashed on a petrol pump in Chheda Nagar area on Monday evening when the city was hit by dust storms and unseasonal rains. At least 89 persons were extricated from under the hoarding, of whom 14 were declared dead while the other 75 were injured and undergoing treatment, officials said.

(With inputs from Agencies)