Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case: Key accused, on the run, nabbed

The billboard that fell on the petrol pump

The Mumbai Crime Branch's Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case, has arrested Arshad Khan, a wanted accused who had been absconding for the past six months. Khan's anticipatory bail application was being heard in the Bombay High Court but he was never granted relief. The SIT apprehended Khan in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, late on Sunday evening. He was produced in court on Monday and remanded to the crime branch's custody until Saturday for further investigation.

According to the Crime Branch, EGO Media, the company accused in the case, made a substantial payment to Arshad Khan to secure the contract for a 120x140 hoarding in Ghatkopar. The hoarding collapsed on May 13, killing 17 people and injuring over 80. The SIT revealed that the payment was made by EGO Media's director following instructions allegedly given by former GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid.

The arrested accused Arshad Khan

In her statement, Jhanavi Marathe, the former director of EGO Media and an accused in the case, claimed she made a payment of more than R1 crore to Khan based on Khalid's directions to secure the hoarding contract. The Crime Branch has stated that this has been established in their ongoing investigation. According to the remand application submitted by the Crime Branch, EGO Media and its sister company paid R84 lakh from July 2021 to December 2023 to 18 different accounts with no links to the company. These payments were allegedly made based on Khan's instructions. The Crime Branch has informed the court that they want to investigate on whose behalf Khan was taking money from EGO Media to secure the hoarding contract from the then GRP commissioner.

According to the 3,299-page charge sheet filed earlier this year, the prime accused, Bhavesh Bhinde, informed investigators that co-accused and former EGO Media director Jhanavi Marathe told him she had paid a large sum of money to Arshad Khan following instructions allegedly given by former GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid.

Bhavesh Bhinde, one of the accused; (right) Former GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid

Khalid's statement was recorded by the SIT; however, it does not address or mention any questions regarding the payment. In his statement, Khalid explained the events that transpired during his tenure and shifted the blame to his predecessor, Ravindra Shisve. Khalid claimed that he approved a 200-square-foot hoarding, but the size of the hoarding was increased after his transfer. He further alleged that the construction took place during Shisve's tenure, during which no action was taken against the illegal hoarding despite several complaints. In his statement to the Crime Branch, Shisve said he had explained everything to the ADG (Admin) at the DGP office in a detailed response after an explanation was sought from him in August 2023. He responded on September 16, 2023, assuring them that his office would adhere to whatever decision the DGP office made. However, he claimed he did not receive any response before the hoarding collapsed.

The charge sheet filed by the Crime Branch earlier this year also contains a statement from Khan, where he claimed the payment was for electrical materials and branded goods supplied to the company. Records indicate that Khan and suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid are known to each other. Khalid was suspended earlier this year by the Home Department due to gross irregularities in the approval of the hoarding.

The site where the hoarding collapsed. File pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The accident on May 13 occurred when a massive hoarding, measuring 120x140 feet, collapsed on the GRP ground due to strong winds, leading to the death of 17 people and injuries to more than 80. Four individuals, including Bhavesh Bhinde, Janhavi Marathe, Sagar Patil, and Manoj Sanghu, have already been arrested and chargesheeted in connection with the incident. The Crime Branch's investigation is continuing against BMC and GRP officials, who have been passing the blame onto each other. Khan is the fifth individual arrested in the case, apprehended from Lucknow on Sunday. However, despite gross violations revealed during the investigation, BMC and GRP officials have not yet been named as accused in the case.

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