Crime Branch seeks graft probe against Quaiser Khalid in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse

The hoarding that collapsed due to strong winds killed 17 people. File pic

The Mumbai Crime Branch has recommended a criminal inquiry under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act against suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid in connection with the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case. The Crime Branch has found serious lapses on his part and believes that accused Arshad Khan, who was arrested in the case, received more than Rs 1 crore from Ego Media - the firm responsible for the hoarding that collapsed last year, killing 17 people and injuring over 80. The recommendation has been made so that the home department can forward it to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for further action.

Khalid came under the Crime Branch's scanner following the arrest of Khan, who is known to him and also a director in a company owned by Khalid's wife. Khan had been absconding for several months before he was arrested from Uttar Pradesh on December 30.

After interrogating Khan, the Crime Branch found serious criminal lapses on the part of former Government Railway Police Commissioner Quaiser Khalid. Khalid had already been suspended by the state home department last year following a report from the Maharashtra DGP that pointed to his role in the lapses surrounding the Ghatkopar hoarding permission which collapsed.

The Crime Branch's report, recommending action against Khalid and a probe by the ACB under Section 13 (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, was sent to the additional chief secretary (ACS) Home two weeks ago. Sources in the home department confirmed the development to mid-day on the condition of anonymity. However, the recommendation for an ACB probe is yet to be forwarded by the home department. According to the Crime Branch, EGO Media, the company accused in the case, made a substantial payment to Khan to secure the contract for a 120x140 hoarding in Ghatkopar. The hoarding collapsed on May 13, killing 17 people and injuring over 80.

In her statement, Janhavi Marathe, the former director of EGO Media and an accused in the case, claimed she made the payment of more than R1 crore to Khan based on Khalid's directions to secure the hoarding contract. The Crime Branch has said that this has been established in their ongoing investigation. The Crime Branch had earlier said that the accused's company EGO Media and their sister company had paid Rs 84 lakh from July 2021 to December 2023 to 18 different accounts that have no links to the company, the payments were to these accounts based on the instructions of Khan. The officials now suspect that the payment was made on behalf of Khalid and the same needs to be investigated by the ACB under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the 3,299-page charge sheet filed before the court last year , the prime accused, Bhavesh Bhinde, informed investigators that Marathe told him she had paid a large sum of money to Khan, following instructions allegedly given by former GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid. The tragic incident on May 13 occurred when the hoarding collapsed on the GRP ground due to strong winds. So far five individuals, including Arshad Khan, Bhinde, Marathe, Sagar Patil, and Manoj Sanghu, have been arrested in connection with the incident and are being charge-sheeted by the Crime Branch, the supplementary charge sheet is yet to be submitted against Khan. The Crime Branch's investigation was continuing against
BMC officials.