The Mumbai Police have arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agency responsible for the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse that resulted in the death of 16 people and injuries to 74 others on May 13.
Bhinde's company had installed a massive 120x120-foot advertising hoarding in Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar East, which exceeded the permissible size of 40x40 feet. The hoarding collapsed after a brief spell of unseasonal rain and strong winds, falling onto a busy petrol pump and trapping nearly 100 people underneath. Fourteen individuals lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Immediately after the hoarding collapsed, Bhinde fled out of fear of arrest. A team of Mumbai Police reached his residence in Mulund, but he had already escaped. The police traced his last location to Lonavala, where a team was dispatched, but he was not found there either. He had turned off his mobile phone, and since then, his whereabouts were unknown. From there, he fled to Rajasthan.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Lakhmi Gautam has revealed that upon receiving information about the escape of the accused Bhavesh Bhinde, the Crime Branch formed seven teams to begin searching for him. Led by DCP Vishal Thakur, these seven teams were deployed to various locations to search for the accused Bhinde.
Police officials said that on Monday, when an FIR was filed against the accused Bhinde, a team from Pantnagar Police went to arrest him at his residence in Mulund, but by then Bhinde had already fled. As the Crime Branch initiated the search for Bhinde, it was discovered that on Monday night, Bhinde fled to Lonavala, and from there, he came to Silvassa via Navi Mumbai. Bhinde then reached Surat, where he switched off all his mobile phones. From Surat, Bhinde traveled to Ahmedabad and then to Udaipur in Rajasthan.
Police officials explained that Bhinde became aware that the police were searching for him, so he booked a room at a resort in Udaipur. To book this room, he used the Aadhaar card of a person known to him.
The Mumbai Police booked Bhavesh Bhinde under sections 304, 337, 338, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, including charges of culpable homicide, causing hurt endangering life, and common intention. Following the collapse, multiple police teams were formed to locate Bhinde, who had fled from the city.
Additionally, Bhinde faces two other cases in Mulund, one for rape and molestation, and another for cheating. A woman in his office filed the rape and molestation case in January, while the cheating case dates back to 2016. Bhinde secured anticipatory bail from the Bombay High Court in the rape and molestation case, avoiding arrest by the Mulund police.
Moreover, Bhinde has a history of 21 fines under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, predating 2009. He had also contested as an independent candidate in the Mulund constituency during the 2009 assembly elections.