If the Pant Nagar police and BMC had taken action against the hoarding company, it could have prevented the loss of life in the hoarding incident on Tuesday. In February this year, Ego Media was accused of poisoning trees to improve the visibility of their hoardings, leading to an FIR. However, the local police didn’t investigate the matter further. Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of Ego Media, is now wanted by the police. He’s also out on bail, having been charged with rape by the city police.

“Since 2022, I have written several letters to the BMC specifically about the illegal hoarding, as its height exceeded the prescribed limit. However, the BMC, Government Railway Police (GRP), and local police failed to take any action,” said Kunal Turerao, a social activist.