On May 13, a tragic incident occurred in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, where a massive 120×120-foot advertising hoarding belonging to Bhavesh Bhinde collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 16 people and injuring 74 others. The billboard, significantly larger than the permissible size of 40×40 feet, was owned by Ego Media Pvt Ltd and had been erected on a 10-year lease. The structure fell onto a busy petrol pump during a brief spell of unseasonal rain and gusty winds, trapping nearly 100 people beneath it.
Following the incident, the Mumbai Police arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd. Bhinde’s company had applied to the Limca Book of Records to have the hoarding recognized as the largest commercial billboard in India. However, this ambitious endeavor ended in disaster. The Pant Nagar police charged Bhinde under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 and 338 (causing hurt and grievous hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). To locate Bhinde, who had fled Mumbai, over ten police teams from Mumbai and Gujarat were mobilized.
In addition to the hoarding collapse case, Bhinde faces serious allegations in two other cases registered in Mulund. In January of the same year, a woman from his office accused him of rape and molestation. Although Bhinde obtained anticipatory bail from the Bombay High Court, preventing his arrest, a chargesheet has been filed against him. Another case of cheating was registered against him in 2016 at the same police station.
Bhinde’s legal troubles extend further, with 21 cases of fines under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, filed against him before 2009. Additionally, he had contested the 2009 assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Mulund constituency.
The collapse of the oversized hoarding not only highlights the disregard for regulatory norms but also underscores Bhinde’s controversial and problematic history. The incident has prompted a closer examination of the safety standards and regulatory compliance in the erection of large advertising structures, emphasizing the need for stringent oversight to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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