Mumbai: The collapse of Ghatkopar hoarding that claimed 17 lives was not an act of God, observed the sessions court in its detailed order explaining why it rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the ex-director of the advertising firm.
It further said that the custodial interrogation of Janhavi Marathe, the ex-director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd that installed the ill-fated hoarding, is required because she isn't cooperating with the probe.
The sessions court had on May 31 rejected Marathe's bail plea. In the detailed order, it said she was absconding and refused to cooperate with the investigation. Thus, the contention that she will cooperate with the probe cannot be accepted, said the court.
It also rejected the defence that the hoarding fell due to strong winds and any other human act is not responsible for it. On the role of Marathe, it said that mere her resignation dated December 21, 2023, does not absolve her from her responsibilities. She was the firm director from the time of erecting the hoarding till its operation.
The court accepted the prosecution's contention that the structural engineer Manoj Ramakrishna, who gave the structural stability certificate to the hoarding, had actually not visited the site or carried out any inspection. Instead, the certificate was issued only at the request of the arrested accused Bhavesh Bhide, the Ego Media owner.
The court has also negated the contention that the hoarding was installed on the railway land. It noted that the prosecution presented records of ownership of the land, which is in the name of 'Home Department Police Headquarters'.
Besides, the prosecution had referred to communication made by railways, which confirmed that the land didn't belong to railways. Thus, the court held that the defence argument that since the hoarding was erected on the land of the railway department, there was no need for the permission from the civic body is not acceptable.
