EXCLUSIVE: More trouble for officer accused in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case

The hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar was 120x120 sq ft. File pic/Sameer Markande

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched an inquiry into corruption allegations against suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid, following a complaint forwarded by Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla last month. Sources indicate that the DGP received a complaint from a private individual accusing Khalid of corruption related to granting permissions for hoardings on railway land.

The complainant alleges having paid Rs 30 lakh in cash to Khalid and $8000 (USD) to sponsor his trip to the US. The complaint was lodged with DGP Rashmi Shukla on May 7, 2024, six days before the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse that resulted in 17 fatalities.

Khalid had been suspended during the previous month following a report from the DGP's office highlighting serious irregularities in the Ghatkopar hoarding case. The ACB is currently investigating the corruption allegations against him.

Alleged misuse of power

According to a complaint filed with the DGP office by a private individual residing in Sakinaka, Khalid, allegedly misusing his position as railway commissioner, defrauded the complainant of Rs 37 lakh. The complainant alleges that Khalid assured a hoarding contract on railway premises at Dadar Tilak Bridge, Dadar Railway Police Colony, or Ghatkopar, and received the amount in cash. Reportedly, Rs 10 lakh was delivered to Khalid's residence, while R20 lakh was handed over in cash to Arshad Khan at Shivaji Nagar, who is purportedly a close associate of Khalid and a director in his wife's company. The complaint provided specific dates and amounts paid to Khalid, along with WhatsApp conversations detailing his trip to the US and payments amounting to $6000 for Khalid's purchases, as well as an additional $2000 transferred to a family member in the US at Khalid's behest. Due to these allegations of corruption, the complaint was referred to the ACB for investigation.

A senior officer of the Maharashtra Police confirmed these developments to mid-day, but declined to disclose more, citing the ongoing investigation. mid-day has obtained a copy of the complaint letter, which contains startling revelations and WhatsApp exchanges involving the former railway commissioner.

The four-page complaint filed with the DGP office alleges that the complainant was introduced to Khalid by a Chembur resident, at the time when Khalid held the position of commissioner of railways, in February 2022. Khalid shared his contact number with the complainant, and they subsequently met two or three times.

Promise to resolve issues

According to the complaint, during these meetings, the complainant raised the issue of his hoardings at Dadar Tilak Bridge, which were under judicial review. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the railways removed the hoardings. To the complainant's surprise, in March 2022, he discovered that the hoarding contract had been awarded to ‘Guju Ads' without any tender process. When he confronted Khalid about this issue, Khalid allegedly stated that he already had a deal with Guju Ads and assured the complainant of providing another location for his hoardings, either in Dadar Railway Colony or Ghatkopar.

"After meeting Khalid and receiving assurance from him, I paid Rs 10 lakh in cash as advance at his residence, which was received by one of his close family members, in April 2022," the complainant stated, providing Khalid's residential address and the names of his close family members who received cash. The complainant further stated that after making the payment, the next day he visited Khalid in his office, where he was reassured that the work would be completed, "though it would take some time".

Favours demanded in US

According to the complaint, on August 24, 2022, Khalid informed him that he was in the US for some personal work. Khalid also mentioned that he would be returning from JFK International Airport on September 7, 2022, and requested the complainant to arrange accommodation for him in a five-star property in the Queens area. Khalid provided names of five different hotels and in a WhatsApp chat with the complainant, allegedly stated, "Okay, but it should include breakfast. We may consider hotels in the Queens area too," as detailed in the letter submitted to the DGP's office.

The complaint also alleged that during the US trip, the friend of the complainant in the US gave his ‘Visa' card to Khalid and the same was used for shopping worth $6100 (USD). Khalid said that he would return the amount after returning from the US. However, he later said that he would adjust the same with the hoarding contracts, according to the complaint.

According to the allegations in the complaint letter submitted to the DGP, Khalid called the complainant on September 15, 2022, and instructed him to deposit $2000 in the account of his (Khalid's) family member residing in the US. Khalid asked the complainant to seek assistance from his US friend, to which the complainant responded that the $6100 paid by his friend was already pending. Allegedly, Khalid stated that he would adjust this amount as well with the hoarding contract.

Subsequently, the complainant deposited $2000 in the account of Khalid's family member in the US. The complainant then met Khalid regarding the hoarding contracts, and Khalid showed him files that had been forwarded to the DGP office. Following this, Khalid allegedly asked the complainant to transfer R20 lakh to Pasban-e-adab, an NGO run by Khalid. The complainant expressed inability to transfer funds to this account and instead handed over cash to Arshad Khan in Shivaji Nagar (Govandi) in December 2022. Khan is reported to be a close associate of Khalid and a director in a company where Khalid's wife is also a director.

Khan is also under investigation by the SIT in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case and has given a statement regarding an amount of R46 lakh suspected to be the proceeds of crime related to the hoarding collapse case.

The complaint further asserted that when he messaged Khalid requesting a meeting for urgent matters, he was informed that a complaint had been lodged against Khalid and that the amount would be returned in a few days. The complaint alleged that Khalid, an IPS officer, abused his authority and deceived him, prompting the complaint to take legal action against him.

Lack of acknowledgement

The letter was addressed to the CM, home minister, and the DGP, who forwarded it to the ACB. mid-day chose not to disclose the complainant's identity. When contacted, the complainant denied making such complaints. When the complaint letter, which includes his name and address was forwarded to him, he didn't respond. mid-day contacted Quaiser Khalid but he refused to comment.

17
No. of fatalities caused by hoarding collapse

May 13
Day the hoarding collapsed in Ghatkopar