Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Key accused, biz partner of suspended IPS Quaiser Khalid’s wife, held from Lucknow

The Indian Express had earlier reported that Khan was a co-director in a company where suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid’s wife was also a director. Khalid was the Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner who allegedly approved the hoarding without issuing tenders which led to the collapse.

Khalid has maintained that the permission for the hoarding was given during the tenure of his successor and has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

An officer from the Mumbai crime branch said that Khan continuously kept changing his locations and was eventually nabbed on Sunday from Lucknow where he was staying at the residence of one of the persons that had dealings with a company where he was a director.

An officer said, “Nearly two or three times in the past we missed him by a whisker including once a few days back. We had been constantly tracking him.”

While the crime branch had recorded his statement once, he did not turn up for multiple summons issued later on following which a Non Bailable Warrant was issued by the court and the police also got a Look Out Circular issued against him to ensure he did not leave the country.

So far, the SIT has already filed a first chargesheet against four persons including the owner of Ego Media Bhavesh Bhinde, all of whom have been released on bail. However, no government employees including those from the BMC that gave permission for the illegal hoardings have been chargesheeted by the police.

Soon after the case came to light, the Maharashtra government suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid who has not yet been reinstated. The government also formed a judicial commission to probe the rules flouted in the collapse.