MUMBAI: Investigations have confirmed that Govandi businessman Arshad Khan, an accused within the Could 13 Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case, had been paid Rs 1 crore by Ego Media Pvt Ltd to get the billboard accredited, the Particular Investigation Staff (SIT) knowledgeable the classes courtroom listening to Khan’s pre-arrest bail plea on Thursday. The courtroom has reserved its order for Aug 12, whilst a lookout round has been issued in opposition to Khan.
SIT additionally talked about {that a} probe is on into Khan’s enterprise enterprise, Mahapara Lucknowi Clothes, wherein suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid’s spouse Sumanna is a associate.
Ego Media had erected the 140×140 sq ft hoarding on GRP land in Ghatkopar which collapsed attributable to robust winds on Could 13, killing 17 individuals. Police have to date arrested Ego Media Pvt Ltd director Bhavesh Bhinde, former director Janhvi Marathe, structural engineer Manoj Sanghu and civil contractor Sagar Kumbhar within the case.
Final week, Khan, who’s now absconding, had moved classes courtroom by way of his lawyer Ranjit Patil in search of anticipatory bail.
SIT claimed that Khan had taken greater than Rs 1 crore from Bhinde and Marathe. SIT mentioned they want Khan’s custodial interrogation as they’ve prima facie proof to indicate his involvement within the erection of the hoarding with the co-accused. It has additionally transpired that Khan was in fixed contact with Bhinde, and therefore she shouldn’t be granted anticipatory bail, SIT urged the courtroom.The police report additional mentioned that scrutiny of financial institution statements of Ego Media and Gujju Advs – the agency’s former title – confirmed that Khan had obtained Rs 84 lakh between July 2021 and Dec 2023. “The cash was transferred into 18 completely different financial institution accounts and the account holders withdrew it and gave it to Khan. The account holders have given statements that they don’t have anything to do with Ego Media or Gujju Advs. Nevertheless, it has transpired that every one these account holders are identified to Khan, who resides within the neighborhood,” mentioned the SIT report, including that preliminary enquiries with Khan had not yielded any passable solutions.
A few of the cash was additionally transferred to Khan’s two relations, who too didn’t give justifications on this regard, mentioned SIT. Khan, in his earlier questioning, had mentioned he provided branded items and spectacles to Bhinde and obtained the cash for it. The report additional said that police had summoned Khan once more on July 21 and July 22, however he didn’t flip up. His spouse Nazma advised police that he was unwell and was out of city for remedy.
