Bhavesh Bhinde, a businessman whose company was responsible for the billboard that collapsed in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, was arrested in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and brought back to Mumbai on Friday morning. Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, will be presented in court following his arrest by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch after an extensive manhunt.
The catastrophic incident occurred on Monday evening when a 120 feet by 120 feet billboard crashed onto a nearby petrol pump amid gusty winds and unseasonal rains, resulting in the deaths of 16 people and injuries to 75 others. Following the incident, Bhavesh Bhinde fled Mumbai with his driver.
A total of 8 teams from the Mumbai Police were dispatched to various locations to locate Bhavesh Bhinde, who was finally tracked down in Udaipur on Thursday evening, three days after the hoarding collapse. According to the police, Bhavesh Bhinde initially went to Lonavala, returned to Mumbai the next day, then traveled to Thane and Ahmedabad. After changing locations multiple times, he eventually changed his name and hid in a hotel in Udaipur. Joint CP Crime Lakhmi Gautam, overseeing the investigation, dispatched a Crime Branch team to Udaipur, where they apprehended Bhavesh Bhinde.
The search and rescue operation at the collapse site concluded at 10 am on Thursday, as confirmed by an official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The illegal billboard had been installed on land under the possession of the Government Railway Police (GRP).
This incident has highlighted severe lapses in the regulatory oversight of advertising installations in Mumbai, sparking calls for stricter enforcement of safety standards.
