Police have arrest Bhavesh Bhinde, the businessman responsible for the installation of the collapsed billboard in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, was from Udaipur, Rajasthan, today.
The catastrophic incident during a storm resulted in the deaths of 16 people and left over 70 injured.
Bhinde, who had been evading arrest since the disaster, faces over 20 legal cases, including charges of rape.
The towering 120x120-foot hoarding, which made it into the Limca Book of Records for its size, fell in Ghatkopar on Monday.
This billboard far exceeded the legal size limit of 40x40 feet set by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The BMC confirmed that proper tender processes were not followed when granting permissions to Bhinde's company.
Allegations suggest Bhinde secured the permissions due to his connections with Sunil Raut, brother of prominent politician Sanjay Raut.
Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the state’s commitment to cover the medical expenses of the injured and provide ₹5 lakh in compensation to the families of the deceased.
Kirit Somaiya, a BJP leader, has called for a thorough investigation into the permissions granted for the billboard.
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Somaiya alleged significant financial irregularities, stating, "The revenue from the hoarding exceeded ₹100 crore, and the adjacent fuel station earned ₹25 crore, yet the Maharashtra government received nothing substantial. A couple of crores were transferred to the Maharashtra police welfare fund."
In response to the tragedy, BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani announced an immediate ban on the erection of new billboards throughout Mumbai.
This prohibition applies universally, whether the billboards are on government or private properties.
The BMC has also ordered the Railway Administration to dismantle all illegally sized billboards in Ghatkopar to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The collapse has sparked significant political controversy, with Somaiya alleging corruption and negligence.
"No tender process was followed while permitting Bhavesh Bhinde," he claimed, suggesting Bhinde’s connections facilitated the approvals.
Following the Ghatkopar hoarding incident, BMC announced that no new hoardings would be allowed in Mumbai at this time; irrespective of whether the advertisement board is in any government or private premises.
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