Ghatkopar Hoarding Collapse: SIT Summons GRP ACP

The Crime Branch's special investigation team (SIT), investigating the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case which claimed 17 lives, has summoned Government Railway Police (GRP) ACP Shahaji Nikam for questioning on Tuesday.

The police said that the hoarding by accused Bhavesh Bhinde and his company Ego Media Private Limited was approved by the then police commissioner of GRP Quaiser Khalid, three days after his transfer order was issued. It is also known that the approval was made without any tendering procedure, as per the standard operating procedure or government protocols. While official notices have been sent to Khalid, he is yet to make any statements or official reply.

However, to find out more about the process of approval without the tendering process, the SIT will interrogate ACP Nikam, said police officials.

At the spot of the incident, Bhinde owned four hoardings out of which one collapsed (size 120x120 feet) didn’t have the tender. As per BMC’s rule, no hoarding should exceed beyond the 40x40 feet limit, hence the one collapsed was illegal by default.

Meanwhile, police also revealed that the land where the hoarding was installed is owned by the Maharashtra government's collectorate which then allocated it to the Home Ministry which then further gave it to the GRP. Police said that the right to provide NOC to erect hoarding as per protocols is also a duty by the BMC. Hence, after GRP, the SIT may soon summon BMC officials who were supposed to look into the hoarding-related matters, and will be held legally culpable.