Mumbai billboard collapse: Owner arrested from Udaipur, brought to Mumbai

Bhavesh Bhinde, the man responsible for installing the billboard that collapsed in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area was arrested from Udaipur and was brought to Mumbai on Friday where he will be presented in court.

Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd who was absconding after the incident took place on Monday, was arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch after a massive manhunt. 

The mishap occurred on Monday evening when over 100-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. 

The illegal billboard had been installed on land under the possession of the Government Railway Police (GRP). Following the incident, Bhinde fled Mumbai in a car with his driver. 

According to a report by NDTV, a total of eight teams from the Mumbai Police were dispatched to various locations to search Bhinde who was finally tracked down in Udaipur on Thursday evening, three days after the hoarding collapse. 

According to the police, Bhinde first went to Lonavala and returned to Mumbai the next day. From there, he went to Thane, followed by Ahmedabad, and after changing locations several times, he changed his name and hid in a hotel in Udaipur. 

Joint CP Crime Lakhmi Gautam, overseeing the investigation, dispatched a Mumbai Police Crime Branch team to Udaipur where they tracked him down and took him into custody.

According to media reports, Bhinde is also a rape accused, with a case registered against him at the Mulund Police Station in January this year. Additionally, a chargesheet has been filed.