Mumbai: In a major upset for the crime branch investigating the hoarding crash in Ghatkopar that killed 17 people, a court has granted bail to Manoj Ramkrishna Sanghu, the architect who issued the structural stability certificate. Additional Sessions Judge V. M. Pathade granted him bail of Rs 1 lakh.
According to a Times of India report, the crime branch argued that Sanghu colluded with Ego Media director Bhavesh Bhinde and another director, Janhvi Marathe, to issue a fraudulent structural stability report.
The prosecution contended that granting bail might affect the case and allow Sanghu to tamper with the ongoing investigation. Sanghu, 41, an architect on the BMC panel, has been accused of designing the hoarding and issuing the structural stability audit report without consulting IIT or VJTI. According to the police, Sanghu's stability certificate permitted a hoarding size of 40x40 feet, but the structure was illegally erected at 120x140 feet.
The court, while granting bail, reportedly stipulated that Sanghu must appear before the investigating officer as required, cannot leave the country without the court's permission, must not induce, threaten, or promise anything to prosecution witnesses, and should not tamper with evidence or commit similar crimes.
Arguments By Manoj Sanghu's Lawyer
Sanghu’s lawyer, Devanand Manekar, argued that Sanghu was engaged by Ego Media solely to create a structural design for the hoarding. Manekar reportedly claimed that after Sanghu's firm submitted the drawing to Ego Media, it was Ego Media’s responsibility to get it approved by recognised institutions like VJTI. He also refuted police allegations that Sanghu was on a monthly payroll, explaining that Ego Media was supposed to pay Sanghu a certain amount, but Bhinde, citing a lack of funds, paid him in installments.
