On Thursday, authorities arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the ad agency responsible for installing the collapsed hoarding in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area. Bhinde was apprehended while hiding at a hotel in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Heavy rain and a dust storm on Monday caused the collapse of a massive hoarding in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area. The billboard fell onto the Police Ground fuel station along the Eastern Express Highway, resulting in the deaths of 16 people and injuring dozens of others.

Following the incident, the Mumbai Police filed a culpable homicide case against Bhavesh Bhinde, whose company had erected the hoarding.

Mumbai Police Arrested The Firm Owner

Bhinde has a history of 23 prior criminal cases. In January of this year, he also faced a rape charge filed at the Mulund Police Station. The Mumbai Police apprehended him on Thursday evening.

Experts attribute the collapse of the hoarding to the weak and inadequate foundation of its pillar.

The incident sparked safety concerns because the hoarding, measuring approximately 17,040 square feet, had been recognized in the Limca Book of Records as the largest hoarding.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) released a statement, indicating that the collapsed billboard had been built without their authorization.

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