We were about to act against the hoarding contractor: GRP

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the GRP clarified that permissions for the hoarding and petrol pump on which it collapsed were given on December 10, 2021, by the then GRP commissioner

MUMBAI: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday confirmed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had earlier this month asked it to remove hoardings erected by Ego Media Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East, including the one which collapsed during Monday’s squall, killing 14 people.

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“We did receive the notice sent by BMC and our administrative department was in the process of verifying documents and permissions for the hoardings when the tragedy struck,” said a GRP officer.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the GRP clarified that permissions for the hoarding and petrol pump on which it collapsed were given on December 10, 2021, by the then GRP commissioner; the land belonged to the state government and the Maharashtra State Police Housing Corporation, and the permission was valid for ten years, the statement noted.

It further said that BMC had sent a notice to the assistant commissioner of police (administration), GRP seeking removal of hoardings in Ghatkopar’s Pant Nagar area, which were erected in violation of section 328 of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. The hoardings mentioned in the notice included the one which collapsed on Monday.

“The communication was issued after an FIR was registered against the hoarding contractor (Bhavesh Bhinde, owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd) for allegedly poisoning several trees along the Eastern Express Highway,” the statement noted. The FIR was registered based on a complaint by BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya, who alleged the trees were poisoned to provide for a better view of the hoarding.