New Delhi: Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of Ego Media Private Limited, the company which had the contract for the hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar, claiming 16 lives, was arrested in Rajasthan's Udaipur on Thursday, he was then brought to Mumbai. Authorities had previously traced his last location to Lonavla, where he eluded capture.
He has been booked earlier in a rape case by the Mumbai Police earlier this year, a report in The Indian Express said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has enlisted the Veermata Jeejabai Technological Institute (VJTI) to conduct a thorough structural audit of the collapsed billboard.
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When Giant Mumbai Billboard Collapsed
The incident took place on Monday. The illegal hoarding collapsed onto a petrol pump located at Ghatkopar's Cheddanagar Junction due to gusty winds. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said that the rescue operation was delayed due to the active petrol pump. At least 16 individuals lost their lives, and 75 others sustained injuries following the unexpected collapse of a billboard.
"The bodies of a male and a female were retrieved from the car struck below the hoarding in Chheda Nagar area shortly after midnight, the official said, according to a PTI report.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has declared an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the victims affected by the tragic incident. Additionally, he has pledged to take decisive action against those found responsible for the accident, reported PTI.
"It is a painful and sad incident, I myself visited the spot yesterday. The government will bear all the expenses of the people injured in this incident," he said.
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani announced that Chief Minister Shinde has issued directives to inspect all hoardings, emphasizing the necessity of a structural stability certificate for each one.