The director of hoarding firm Ego Media Pvt Ltd, Bhavesh Bhinde, 50, arrested in connection with the hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar, has moved a bail plea and claimed that he joined the company much after the structure was erected. Bhinde claimed that he joined the company after the earlier director Janhavi Marathe, who is also under arrest, resigned on December 21, 2023.
Bhinde was arrested on May 17. He has moved the bail plea before the sessions court through his lawyer Sana Khan, claiming that he had no role in the said incident. The plea reads, “He (Bhinde) became a director of the company, Ego Media Pvt Ltd, from December 21, 2023, by which time the said hoarding was already erected and advertisements were being displayed thereon. As a result, no fault, liability can be ascribed to him as he merely took over the management of the company from the date mentioned.”
Further, Bhinde has claimed that the hoarding collapsed not due to improper, faulty construction, but because of “force majeure” (act of god). Bhinde claimed that the India Meteorological Department confirmed that the wind speed was nearly 96kmph, as recorded by BMC’s automatic weather station. He further said winds blowing at 89-102 kmph is classified as a storm, which could cause considerable structural damage and even uproot fully grown trees.
Bhinde further stated that the BMC had no jurisdiction over the land and the hoarding was constructed after obtaining permission from the Commissioner of Police (Railways). Besides, he cited an opinion taken from Justice (retd) AV Nirgude, who opined that the land bearing survey would be classified as a land belonging to the railways, and that the BMC has no power to either regulate any advertisements or charge license fee on it.
