Udaipur: Ad firm director Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the giant billboard that crashed onto a petrol pump in suburban Ghatkopar on Monday evening, was arrested by the Mumbai police from Udaipur, on Thursday.
After the incident, Bhavesh had come to Udaipur and was hiding in a hotel situated in Goverdhan vilas area of the city. The crime branch had kept this operation a top secret.
The Udaipur police too did not have any clue about the operation. After arresting him, the crime branch team took him to Mumbai
The massive billboard had crashed onto a petrol pump in suburban Ghatkopar on Monday evening during sudden dusty winds and unseasonal rains on May 13 claiming 16 lives. As many as 75 people were injured in the crash.
The crime branch team of Mumbai police arrested Bhinde, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agency responsible for erecting the hoarding in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai.
The billboard owner is a rape accused and has been penalised at least 21 times in the past for putting up illegal hoardings. As per the civic body, Bhinde's agency did not have a permit from the BMC to put up the hoarding.
Earlier this year, he was booked under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the IPC at Mulund police station but was granted anticipatory bail. According to the police, a case was registered against 51-year-old Bhinde and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the IPC at Pant Nagar police station.
More than 10 teams were deployed by Mumbai Police's crime branch to find Bhavesh Bhinde. Some teams were sent to Gujarat and other teams were stationed around airport.
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