Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Prime accused Bhavesh Bhinde gets bail

Bhavesh Bhinde. File Pic/PTI

A Mumbai court on Saturday granted bail to advertising firm director Bhavesh Bhinde, a prime accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case, reported the PTI.

Bhavesh Bhinde's bail plea was allowed by additional sessions Judge V M Pathade. The detailed order was not available yet.

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Bhinde, through his lawyer Sana Khan, had contended that the "unfortunate incident " that claimed 17 lives in May this year was an "act of God", and he was "implicated for political vendetta."

The hoarding installed in suburban Ghatkopar area collapsed due to "unexpected, unusual wind speed" and no fault can be attributed to the applicant (whose firm had installed it), advocate Sana Khan argued.

It was also submitted that Bhavesh Bhinde was not the director of the firm at the time of the installation of the gigantic hoarding.

Bhinde has been booked for 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder.' The prosecution opposed bail to him, saying there was enough evidence to show that Bhinde was actively involved in the case.

As many as 17 people, including a former general manager of the Mumbai airport's Air Traffic Control and his wife, died after the billboard crashed onto a petrol pump on May 13 during sudden dusty winds and unseasonal rains.

The 120 feet x 120 feet hoarding collapsed onto a nearby petrol pump in the Chhedanagar area in Ghatkopar during heavy unseasonal rains.

After the tragedy, a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the IPC was registered at the Pantnagar Police Station against Bhinde, all directors of the advertising agency Ego Media, its officials and employees, officials had said earlier.

It was alleged that the hoarding had been put up illegally on railway land.

Mumbai Police had arrested Bhinde from Udaipur following the incident.

The crime branch team of Mumbai police arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agency responsible for allegedly erecting the hoarding in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai.

Official sources had earlier said that Bhinde was allegedly hiding in a restaurant in Udaipur.

The Mumbai Crime Branch had took him into custody and later secured his transit from a court in Udaipur.

The Pantnagar Police had registered an FIR against Bhavesh Bhinde for negligence leading to the death of 16 people and injuring 79 people after a huge hoarding collapsed on May 13.