How Mumbai Police caught Ghatkopar billboard collapse accused
What's the story
The Mumbai Police crime branch arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of the advertisement agency that had erected the illegal billboard in Ghatkopar, on Thursday.
Bhinde was arrested from a hotel in Udaipur, where he was staying using a fake identity card, just before he planned to relocate on Friday morning.
The arrest involved an extensive manhunt spanning three states.
Here's how the police tracked down the accused three days after the tragic billboard collapse that killed 16 people.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The 120x120-foot advertising billboard was put up by Bhinde's company, Ego Media Pvt Ltd, in Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar East.
It collapsed into a busy gas station on May 13 after a short period of unusually heavy rain and strong winds, trapping about 100 people underneath it. Sixteen of them died.
According to reports, the hoarding was three times the size permitted by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regulations.
The BMC does not allow hoardings larger than 40x40 feet.
Extensive search
Police launch manhunt for billboard collapse accused
Following the billboard collapse on May 13, police searched Bhinde's residence in the Mulund suburb of Mumbai, but he was not there. His mobile phones were also switched off.
NDTV reported that Bhinde fled as law enforcement agencies began closing in on him, changing his location frequently and assuming a false identity to avoid capture.
His evasion led authorities through various cities, including Lonavala, Thane, and Ahmedabad, before finally ending in Udaipur.
Arrest made
Accused billboard owner arrested in secret operation
Bhinde initially fled Mumbai in a car with his driver.
After going to Lonavala, Bhinde returned to Mumbai the following day. He then traveled to Thane, Ahmedabad, and finally Udaipur.
To nab him, the Mumbai Police deployed eight teams.
"The operation was a top secret, and even the Udaipur police did not know about it," revealed an official from the investigating team.
Following his arrest, Bhinde was transported back to Mumbai for court proceedings.
Past offenses
Accused has history of legal troubles
In addition to the billboard collapse case, there are two other cases registered against Bhinde in Mulund for rape, molestation, and cheating.
An officer at the Mulund police station said that, Bhinde had been fined 21 times for various violations under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, prior to 2009.
Bhinde also ran as an independent candidate in the Maharashtra assembly election from the Mulund constituency in 2009.