Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media Private Limited, the company in charge of building the enormous billboard in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area, is at the centre of a legal dispute. The terrible loss of at least 14 lives occurred on Monday night when the enormous advertisement building fell. According to an official, Bhavesh Bhinde and others are the subject of a filed complaint at the Pant Nagar police station for culpable homicide that does not qualify as murder under the Indian Penal Code.
Following the incident, Bhavesh Bhinde has been on the run, with his mobile phone switched off, as per police sources. The unlawful billboard, situated on a plot of land under the possession of the Government Railway Police (GRP), toppled onto a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar vicinity during dust storms and unseasonal rain in the city.
Officials reported that the search and rescue operation at the collapse site in Ghatkopar persisted even after 30 hours, with expectations of continuing for several more hours. According to a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, victims trapped under nearly 90 percent of the 120 x 120-foot billboard have been rescued.
Among the 89 individuals extricated from under the billboard, 14 were pronounced dead, while the remaining 75 sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment.
Bhavesh Bhinde’s Profile: Earlier this year, Bhavesh Bhinde faced accusations of rape, resulting in a case being filed against him at the Mulund Police Station. Additionally, a chargesheet has been submitted. Sources cited by NDTV revealed that Bhavesh Bhinde secured numerous contracts from the Indian Railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for installing billboards and banners over the years. However, he allegedly violated regulations of both entities on multiple occasions. Furthermore, Bhavesh Bhinde and his associates in the company have been implicated in cases related to tree poisoning and tree cutting. In 2009, Bhavesh Bhinde contested the Maharashtra legislative assembly election from Mulund as an Independent candidate, although unsuccessfully, as reported by India Today. An affidavit filed by Bhinde during his election bid declared 23 criminal cases against him. Previously, Bhavesh Bhinde operated a company named Guju Ads, which was later blacklisted by the BMC due to numerous legal issues involving him and the firm, according to India Today. Despite the blacklisting, Bhinde went on to establish Ego Media Pvt Ltd and continued to secure contracts for billboards and hoardings, according to insider sources. The billboard that collapsed on Monday had previously earned recognition in the Limca Book of Records as the “Largest Hoarding.”