Ghatkopar Hoarding Collapse: Ex-Director Of Ego Media Played Crucial Role, Prosecution Opposes Bail

The prosecution has opposed the bail plea of Janhvi Marathe, former director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, which constructed the hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar in May, arguing that she played a crucial role in the incident. The crash resulted in the killing of 17 people.

According to the prosecution, Marathe, as the company’s director, signed all relevant documents along with Bhavesh Bhinde. In 2020, both Marathe and Bhinde participated in a tender for the construction of a hoarding in Ghatkopar East, issued by the Railway Police Commissionerate, Mumbai. The tender specified that obtaining permission from the BMC was mandatory.

The prosecution asserts that Marathe was fully aware of this requirement, as she signed the agreement, acknowledging the terms and conditions of the tender. Despite this, the prosecution alleges that Marathe, in collusion with other accused persons and officials from the BMC and Railway Police Commissionerate, proceeded to erect the hoarding near the BPCL petrol pump without the necessary permissions. Marathe, however, denies any involvement and has blamed Bhinde for the collapse.

The prosecution is also investigating the role of Arshad Khan, a business partner of the suspended IPS officer and additional director general of police, Quaiser Khalid’s wife. Khan is accused of acting as an agent to secure the permission needed to erect the hoarding.

The prosecution claims that a large sum of money was deposited in Khan’s account, with allegations that he received over Rs1 crore for obtaining the required permissions. Marathe’s anticipatory bail was rejected by the sessions court in May, leading to her arrest on June 8 at a hotel in Goa.