Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Court grants bail to Bhavesh Bhinde

Mumbai court grants bail to Bhavesh Bhinde, linked to Ghatkopar hoarding collapse that killed 17, citing lack of evidence and "act of God."

MUMBAI: The sessions court on Saturday granted bail to Bhavesh Bhinde, one of the main accused arrested in connection with the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse of May 13 in which 17 persons were killed and 74 were injured.

Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Court grants bail to Bhavesh Bhinde

Bhinde was the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising firm that had erected the massive hoarding in Ghatkopar East that collapsed on a petrol pump during a spell of heavy rain and gusty wind on May 13. He was arrested by the Mumbai police from a hotel in Udaipur on May 17.

In the bail plea moved by Bhinde in August, he had claimed that he was not the director at the time of construction of the hoarding. He had claimed that the permission to construct the hoarding was granted to Ego Media in 2022 when he did not have any position in the advertising firm. Advocate Sana Raees Khan, appearing for Bhinde submitted that that the unfortunate incident was purely an act of God, and the Bhinde was implicated due to political vendetta. The defence submitted that since the land was railway land, the permission of BMC was not required, and other legal permissions were granted.

The defence relied on the weather report of IMD that day, submitting that the wind speed was unusual and unexpected, and the hoarding collapsed due to an act of God, and not due to the applicant, while noting that several casualties were reported that day due to the heavy wind speed.

The prosecution had alleged that Bhinde along with former Ego Media director Jahnavi Marathe to Arshad Khan to obtain permission for the collapsed hoarding and to extend the contract period for the three hoardings adjacent to the accident site. Khan was the purported business partner of suspended additional director general of police Quaiser Khalid’s wife. However, the defence argued that there is no bank transaction to prove the alleged transaction of ₹1 crore to Khan by Bhinde. The defence argued that there is no transaction on record to address the allegations of illegal hoarding.

The 51-year-old Mulund resident was booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. There are two other cases registered against Bhinde in Mulund — for rape and molestation, and cheating.