Bhavesh Bhide, owner of Ego Media Private Limited, the company that put up the illegal hoarding, is on the run.
A 120 x 120 square feet illegal hoarding fell at a petrol pump in the Ghatkopar area in Mumbai during dust storms and unseasonal rains on Monday. Around 14 people were killed in the hoarding collapse incident while 75 others were injured. BMC said it will take down the remaining billboards on the GRP land where the hoarding collapsed.
The gravity of the accident can be gauged from the fact that NDRF had to be called for relief and the work of evacuating people trapped in this huge hoarding continued throughout the night. After this incident, a case of culpable homicide was registered against Bhavesh Bhide, owner of Ego Media Private Limited, the company that put up the hoarding. Police said Bhide has 23 criminal cases registered against him and was recently arrested on rape charges. After the incident, he has been on the run.
But the question is, are the hoarding company and its owner alone responsible for the 14 deaths? How was a huge hoarding put up there and who gave permission for it? BMC has said that it does not permit hoardings bigger than 40 by 40 square feet in Mumbai. On Monday (May 13), BMC had given notice to remove the huge hoarding within 10 days. But within a few hours of receiving the notice, the huge hoarding fell during the storm.
READ | Who is Bhavesh Bhinde, owner of Ghatkopar hoarding that collapsed and killed 14 during Mumbai storm?
Initially, it seems the responsibility for illegal hoardings lies with BMC. However, the civic body claims that it does not have the authority on the land where the hoarding was installed as it is GRP land. Hence, BMC's permission is not required to put up hoardings there.
A letter written dated 26 July 2021 by the Railway Police i.e. GRP to Ego Media has also surfaced, It stated GRP had said that BMC's permission is not required to install hoardings on railway land. On this basis, BMC is saying that the giant hoarding which claimed 14 lives, was installed with the permission of the Railway Police. Therefore, BMC has no responsibility for the tragedy. But the question is, with what authority did BMC issue a notice to remove this hoarding on May 13?
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