Hoarding Collapse: Bombay HC to decide fate of Ego Media Director’s release on August 9

The Bombay High Court said that it would pass an order on August 9 on a petition filed by Director of M/s Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising firm managed by Bhavesh Bhinde, an accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case. Citing the India Meteorological Department 's bulletin issued on May 12, Bhinde claimed IMD failed to correctly predict the weather of the next day.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, which heard the plea, reserved its order and said it would be delivered on Friday. Bhinde has sought that the FIR registered against him be quashed, claiming the May 13 hoarding collapse in suburban Ghatkopar, which killed 17 persons, was an "act of God" and hence he cannot be held responsible for the crash.

"The IMD bulletin failed to predict the severe dust storms with gusty winds that hit Mumbai on the fateful day. On account of the aforesaid, the said hoarding collapsed and not due to improper, faulty construction of the same as wrongly, falsely alleged in the said FIR," his plea said.

The "unexpected and unprecedented wind speeds of up to 96 kmph" caused the hoarding to collapse, an event for which neither he nor Ego Media could be held accountable, insisted the petition. As per his plea, the hoarding was legally installed after securing all requisite permissions from relevant authorities.

Bhinde was arrested under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (negligence and hurting), 337 (endangering human life), and 34 (criminal act done by several people with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

Bhinde has pleaded for release on interim bail pending hearing of the plea.