Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Was made scapegoat due to political pressure, says accused to court

In his plea, Bhinde claimed that the hoarding was not illegal and that permissions and advertisement rights were obtained from the Commissioner of Police, Railways. He has also claimed that the hoarding had not collapsed due to faulty construction as alleged but due to gutsy winds experienced in the city.

Bhinde’s plea claims that he had extended the period of the contract for the hoarding from 10 years to 30 years, stating that this shows that he had constructed the hoarding to “remain strong for 30 years”.

“The said incident was not a result of any negligence or mistake on the part of the applicant (Bhinde). It was purely due to an unexpected natural disaster and an ‘Act of God’ which was beyond human control….The applicant had obtained all necessary permissions from the Railway department for the construction and installation of the hoarding, as the land on which the hoarding was erected is owned by the Railway Department,” the plea filed through lawyer Sana Raees Khan said, adding that it did not require the permission of the civic body, BMC, as is alleged in the chargesheet.

The Bombay High Court had earlier this month dismissed a plea by Bhinde claiming that his arrest was illegal.

Bhinde has claimed that the two other co-accused, who had a role in the designing and construction of the hoarding, have been granted bail and sought bail on grounds of parity. This is Bhinde’s first bail plea on merits.