Exclusive | Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Scavengers run riot at site

The aftermath of the Ghatkopar hoarding tragedy is grim with chaos everywhere and severe damage to the petrol pump and many vehicles now beyond repair and piled up in a mess While police officers guard the accident site rag pickers and drug addicts roam the area scavenging for valuable motor parts and stealing iron angles and rods to sell cheaply to nearby scrap dealers according to sourcesAbout six police officers have been deployed at the site to guard the wreckage However the government has not provided them with basic amenities like washrooms and drinking water in this extreme heat As a result the officers often have to walk to nearby shops to buy waterldquoIt is a golden opportunity for the rag pickers and drug addicts They get sufficient time to get away with the expensive motor parts or other items found scattered at the accident site when the cops go to nearby shops to buy water or snacks The pile of wreckage can be important evidence in the case and if the motor parts are stolen from the vehicles the owners will face difficulties when claiming insurancerdquo said a sourceA truck that was crushed at the site PicRajesh GuptaSources confirmed that crucial pieces of evidence and small iron anglesrods are being stolen ldquoIt is the responsibility of government bodies to safeguard the damaged property of victimsrdquo the source added A private security guard named Arjun Yadav hired by the petrol pump echoed these claims but no fresh cases have been registered at Pant Nagar police station as the vehicle owners are either hospitalised deceased or recuperating at homeldquoI am the only private security person deployed by the petrol pump Though I chase them away itrsquos not possible for me to guard the huge area lying in a messedup conditionrdquo Yadav told midday Meanwhile the owner of the illegal hoarding Bhavesh Bhinde is in custody facing intensified interrogation by the Mumbai Crime Branch at Unit 7 office in GhatkoparThe tragedy site is a crimeprone area where housebreaking and theft cases have become common as victims often wait in queues to register FIRs under various sections including 379 380 and 381 of the Indian Penal CodePant Nagar police station has a high number of theft and housebreaking cases registered Till May 10 this year nearly 70 FIRs under sections 379 380 and 381 have been registered The worst affected month was February with 19 backtoback theft and housebreaking cases A local source said ldquoThe stolen vehicles are swiftly dismantled by gangs of thieves who then sell the motor parts to various mechanics at rockbottom prices The remaining parts are sold off to scrap dealersrdquoShortstaffed due to pollsThe damaged vehicles are strewn in a heap at the site where petrol and diesel still remain at the pump ldquoThere are two trucks 25 cars 19 motorcycles and a few auto rickshaws that got damaged in the tragedyrdquo said a police officer attached to Pant Nagar police stationWhen asked who will clear the mess at the tragedy site the officer said ldquoIt is the joint responsibility of the Government Railway Police GRP Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited BPCL and the BMC to remove these damaged vehicles from the accident siterdquoDespite the evident crime patterns in the locality the concerned authorities including GRP BMC and Bharat Petroleum have failed to remove the debris from the accident site or deploy enough guards to safeguard the wreckage A senior GRP official informed midday that a majority of their personnel have been dispatched for ongoing general election duties leaving them with a limited number of staff available to deploy at the tragedy siteThe water and electricity connections have been snapped at the tragedy site where intensified patrolling is needed especially during night ldquoThe tragedy site looks horrible at night as many people died of unnatural deaths due to the sheer negligence of government officialsrdquo said the source ldquoWe are shortstaffed at present due to ongoing general elections Besides our GRP personnel the Pant Nagar police have also deployed their officials at the tragedy site to safeguard the wreckage of vehicles and other materials Local police can register the case related to the theft incident if anyrdquo said a GRP officialldquoThere is no report of a theft case as of nowrdquo said senior inspector of Pant Nagar police station Rajesh KewalMany suffered broken necksSources at Rajawadi hospital informed midday that many of the deceased had suffered broken necks while one had punctured lungs as a result of the tragedyThe bodies of retired General Manager of Air Traffic Control Manoj Chansoriya and his wife Anita were found squeezed in their car which had been compressed to half its original height ldquoOne of the heaviest trusses of the billboard had collapsed on Chansoriyarsquos car where they were found squeezedrdquo a rescuer told middayldquoMost of the deceased were in their seating positions with broken necks inside their fourwheelers It was a horrible situationrdquo said the rescuer ldquoThe height of a truck was also reduced by onetotwo feet in the tragedy But we rescued a few people who had taken shelter near the truckrdquoMay 13Day of the incident70No of theft FIRs registered in the area this year