Unaware of objections to Ghatkopar hoarding, approved it for police welfare: Suspended IPS officer 

The DGP office had sent an adverse report against Khalid, who was the then Railway Police Commissioner, for sanctioning the hoarding, despite objections from the Maharashtra State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation. Khalid’s statement, along with that of the incumbent Railway Commissioner, forms part of the 3,299 page-first chargesheet filed by the SIT against the four arrested accused on Friday.

The four arrested accused include Jahnvi Marathe and Bhavesh Bhinde—the former and current owners of Ego Media company which owned the 140X120 feet hoarding, Manoj Sanghu who gave the structural safety certificate and Sagar Patil, who oversaw the construction of the hoarding.

As SIT official further said Khalid told the police that the action he took was for the welfare of the police force as a chunk of the money earned from advertising hoardings went towards police welfare activities, The IPS officer further told the police that he did not call tenders for the fourth hoarding.

“There were three other hoarding at the Ghatkopar petrol pump. As tenders had been called for the earlier three tenders, he believed the fourth tender was part of the same package,” an officer said.

The chargesheet also includes the statement of Arshad Khan, the person who collected Rs 46.5 lakh from Ego Media after transferring it to other accounts. The Indian Express had earlier reported that Khan was a director in a company where the other director was Khalid’s wife. Khan told the police that he took money from Ego media as he had some personal dealings with them for some services he provided, an officer said.

While the police recorded the statements of several government officials, including two from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, six from railway police, no government servant has been arrested as yet.

An officer said, “Since we had 60 days’ time-limit to file the chargesheet, we were focused on doing that. Now our probe will move on to the other aspects of the crime.” In all, statements of 102 people were recorded.

The officer said they have also attached the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) technical report which proves that the structure was weak and was not in a position to withstand the 87 kmph speed of winds blowing in the city that day.