Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: After God, hoarding accused blames netas

Bhavesh Bhinde, head of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, in police custody. File Pic/PTI

Bhavesh Bhinde, the prime accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, after blaming God for the tragedy that claimed 17 lives, is now pointing a finger at politicians. He claimed the crime branch had arrested him due to political pressure linked to the Lok Sabha election.

Bhinde on Thursday filed a bail application before the sessions court claiming that he had been made a scapegoat by politicians to pacify the public in the wake of the May 13 hoarding collapse. In his application, he also alleged that he had been arrested by the Crime Branch due to political pressure linked to the Lok Sabha elections that were taking place at the time. Bhinde had earlier filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court challenging his arrest, claiming that the tragedy was an act of God but it was rejected, with the court observing that his arrest was legal and justified. He has now moved a regular bail plea before the session's court.

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In his bail application, Bhinde asserted that the allegations against him were false and that the FIR filed by the first informant was baseless. He also claimed that at the time the hoarding was constructed, he had no association with Ego Media, and that co-accused Jhanvi Marathe was responsible. He became a director of the company only after the hoarding was erected in December 2023.

Bhavesh Bhinde, head of Ego Media Pvt Ltd

He also shifted blame to the then Railway Commissioner, stating that the permission for the hoarding was granted by Railways in a letter dated December 19, 2022, for the display of advertisements. This permission included a no-objection certificate for obtaining an electricity meter and allocated 33,800 sq ft for the construction of the hoarding, with a 10-year lease upon payment of rent.

In his application, Bhinde again invoked the Beaufort Wind Force Scale, claiming that the incident was an act of God. He argued that "the wind force of 96 kmph, as stated by the IMD, was unusual, severe, and unprecedented, an act of God which caused the unfortunate collapse of the hoarding." He concluded that the accident was unfortunate but that no fault could be attributed to him or Ego Media.

"Hence, said FIR is absolutely motivated, false and baseless which is registered only with an intention to make the applicant a scapegoat on account of the political pressure due to the collapse of the said hoarding," the application reads.

The remains of the hoarding that collapsed onto a petrol pump in Ghatkopar East a month after the catastrophe. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Bhinde also claimed in his application that he had obtained all the necessary permissions for the hoarding. "The applicant [Bhinde] had secured all required approvals from the railway department for the construction and installation of the hoarding, as the land where it was erected is owned by the railway department. It has been alleged that the applicant failed to seek permission from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, but this requirement does not apply in this case, as the land in question belongs to the railway department. The authority for granting permissions for structures on railway land lies with the railway authorities, not the BMC."