Mumbai: Rejecting the anticipatory bail plea of a private individual, Arshad Khan, in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case that claimed 17 lives, the judge said the material available on record would suggest that he has played some role in connection to obtaining permission from the Railway Police Commissioner’s office to erect the hoarding for which he received lakhs of rupees from Ego Media.
“It also prima facie seems that the applicant and one Sumna Khalid, the wife of then Railway Police Commissioner during whose tenure, Ego Media has been granted permission to erect the hoarding, are partners in firm, Mahapara Lucknowi Garments. The investigating agency in this context wants to interrogate the accused to ascertain his role and others’ in the entire process of obtaining permission for erection of the hoarding in favour of Ego Media from the Office of said Railway Police Commissioner,” the judge said.
The judge said in this view, considering gravity of the offence which resulted into several deaths, injuries to many and huge loss of property or damage to many vehicles, custody of the accused was necessary.
TNN