Shiv Sena claims man behind hoarding tragedy associated with Thackeray camp

The ruling Shiv Sena on Tuesday claimed Bhavesh Bhinde the owner of the advertising agency linked to the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse tragedy in Mumbai was associated with the rival camp led by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav ThackerayMaharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant shared a photograph of Bhinde alongside Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray to back his partys assertionBhinde is the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd the advertising agency which had allegedly put up the hoarding that crashed on a petrol pump in suburban Ghatkopar on Monday evening killing 14 people He is absconding since Ghatkopar hoarding collapse tragedyInitially assigned duties within the Sena UBT Bhinde was given the responsibility of installing hoardings in Mumbai Exploiting his access to hoarding spaces allocated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Bhinde illicitly utilised them for displaying greeting for Sena UBTs leaders birthdays and election campaigns Samant claimedRejecting the claim Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said his party is not controlling the BMC for the last two and half years It is the ruling Shiv SenaBJP that controls the civic body through an administratorBhavesh Bhinde wields considerable political influence Hes merely a pawn and its imperative to uncover the true owner and mastermind behind the hoardings As many as 21 have been cases filed against Bhinde for erecting unauthorised hoardings and causing environmental damage Shiv Sena minister Samant claimedA case has been registered against Bhinde for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at the Pant Nagar police station after the hoarding tragedyAt least 14 died people and 75 others were injured after the 120x120 feet hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar due to gusty winds and unseasonal rains Civic officials have said the billboard was illegalThe search and rescue operation at the site of the collapse of a giant hoarding in Ghatkopar continued even 30 hours after the incident and may go on for a few more hours officials said on late Tuesday evening as the death toll in the tragedy rose to 14Victims trapped under as much as 90 percent of the 120 x 120 feet hoarding have been rescued but search was yet to be conducted under its central part said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMCThe illegal hoarding that stood on a piece of land in possession of Government Railway Police GRP crashed on a petrol pump in Chheda Nagar area on Monday evening when the city was hit by dust storms and unseasonal rains At least 89 persons were extricated from under the hoarding of whom 14 were declared dead while the other 75 were injured and undergoing treatment officials saidWith inputs from Agencies