Bombay High Court Dismisses Petition in Ghatkopar Hoarding Collapse Case

The Bombay High Court dismissed a petition by Bhavesh Bhinde, director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, who claimed his arrest in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case was illegal. Bhinde argued that the collapse, which killed 17, was an 'act of God,' but the court found no legal issue with the arrest procedures.

The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by Bhavesh Bhinde, director of the advertising firm Ego Media Pvt Ltd, who was arrested in connection with the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case. Bhinde claimed his arrest was illegal and sought immediate release.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande stated that there was no legal infirmity or procedural impairment in arresting Bhinde. 'We find no legal infirmity. The ground of illegal arrest and detention by the petitioner is nothing but a faux. There is no impairment in the procedure. The petition is dismissed,' the court said.

Bhinde, currently in judicial custody, argued that the hoarding collapse on May 13, which resulted in 17 deaths, was an 'act of God.' His lawyer, Rizwan Merchant, argued that Bhinde was illegally detained for a day before his official arrest on May 17. However, Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar contended that all arrest procedures were followed.