Mumbai hoarding collapse accused last traced to Lonavala, his phone switched off: Police

“He switched off his phone following which he has been untraceable. We have deployed seven teams to trace him and should arrest him soon,” added the officer.

An officer said they would summon officers from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to get information about when Bhinde was given the hoarding on lease and what action was taken against him if permission was not granted.

Bhavesh Prabhudas Bhinde is the main accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse.

The hoarding, measuring 120 x 120 feet against the permitted size of 40 x 40 feet, was situated beside a petrol pump at Pant Nagar on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH). It collapsed at 4.30 pm on Monday after gusty winds and the season’s first spell of rainfall lashed the city. Most of the victims were either refuelling or seeking refuge when the billboard collapsed, and more than 100 people got trapped underneath it.

After the hoarding collapse, the Pant Nagar police registered an FIR against Bhinde on Monday night under sections 304 (culpable homicide), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 337 (causing hurt by negligent act), 34 (common intention) Indian Penal Code (IPC).

During the probe, the police found that Bhinde had a rape case registered against him earlier this year and a cheating case in 2016 at the Mulund police station. Bhinde contested Assembly elections in 2009 from Mulund and mentioned that he had been fined 21 times for putting up hoarding without permission under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act till 2009.