Mumbai, 17 May : In a major development, Mumbai Police have apprehended Bhavesh Bhinde (51), the owner of the hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar on May 13, resulting in 16 fatalities and 88 injuries. Bhinde, a director at EGO Media Co., had been evading capture since the incident.
The arrest occurred in Udaipur, Rajasthan, after a determined police effort tracked him down. According to sources cited by the news agency IANS on Thursday, Bhinde had been on the run since the catastrophic event. The police had charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder soon after the tragedy.
An official source indicated that the Bhandup police had mobilized multiple teams to locate Bhinde, who had been continuously changing locations to avoid arrest.
However, a persistent Crime Branch team eventually succeeded in locating him in Udaipur. Bhinde is now being transported back to Mumbai.
In addition to the hoarding collapse case, Bhinde, who claims to have political connections, faces several other legal issues across various Mumbai police stations. He is scheduled to appear before a Mumbai court on Friday.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported on Thursday that, beyond the human casualties, civic teams had recovered the wreckage of 71 vehicles from the site of the collapse. This included two trucks, 31 four-wheelers, 8 autorickshaws, and 30 two-wheelers.
