Sidhima Choudhary, Pune
The Ghatkopar Mumbai hoarding collapse, which occurred on May 14, 2024, was attributed to a soft soil warning according to the 3299-page chargesheet. The Special Investigation Team, Mumbai, indicated the alleged collusion of government officials and private media firms.
The incident took place in Ghatkopar in eastern Mumbai where a 120x120ft hoarding fell on a fuel station’s roof amid heavy rainfall, trapping over 100 people. The incident resulted in 14 deaths and 74 injuries.
Subsequently, the reason behind the collapse was later found in the investigation led by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) under a 3299-page chargesheet filed in a Mumbai court. The chargesheet revealed the negligence of the company that set up the hoarding, Ego Media’s director Bhavesh Bhinde and former director Jahnavi Marathe who ignored the soft soil warning.
The charge sheet further pointed out the alleged collusion of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ego Media Private Limited and the top officials of the Government Railway Police.
BMC claims that a notice was sent to Ego Media to bring down the billboard. According to BMC’s hoarding policy, BMC allows a maximum hoarding size of 40×40 feet but the billboard that collapsed was thrice the size larger than the allowance size.
Further, the chargesheet clearly stated the critical warning issued to the directors of Ego Media Private Limited from an excavator operator who identified the soft soil on which the hoarding was constructed.
The operator had also recommended the directors to check the condition of the soil which raised concerns about the stability of the structure. The warning was ignored by the directors as they proceeded with putting up the poster on the hoarding on the day the incident took place.
Bhavesh Bhinde, director of the advertising agency, Ego Media was booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code. BMC also issued a notice to Ego Media to remove eight other hoardings in the region.