Bhavesh Bhinde, director of Ego Media, the advertising agency which installed the billboard that collapsed in Mumbai killing 16 people and injuring several others on 13 May, has been arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch from Udaipur, Rajasthan on 16 May, Thursday.

Bhinde had been absconding since the incident and his mobile phone had been switched off.

After the tragedy, a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the IPC was registered against Bhinde, all directors of the advertising agency Ego Media, its officials and employees, according to media reports.

The 120x120-foot advertising billboard belonging to Ego Media, the parent company of Minimax Ads and Pacific Ads- the brands that appeared on the billboard, defied the permissible size of 40x40 feet.

According to news reports, action is being undertaken to remove all illegal hoardings in the metropolis that do not meet the specifications laid down for them under the law.

An audit of all hoardings in Mumbai has also been called for by the chief minister Eknath Shinde. 179 other hoardings in Mumbai have reportedly been flagged as illegal so far.

Speaking with Manifest, outdoor specialist, Atul Shrivastava, Group CEO, Laqshya Media Group, said, “It is the most unfortunate and painful accident we ever heard of. It has shaken everyone, and our thoughts are with the affected families. To avoid such unfortunate incidents, first and foremost, the proliferation of illegal media must be stopped, where authorities’ guidelines are completely ignored. Also, being short-term players, illegal media owners don’t take adequate precautions. Each and every unit must adhere to local regulations and safety norms with the provision of regular audits."

He further added, "OOH  has much larger elements than just billboards. However, it is the responsibility of the media-owning company to adhere to safety standards to ensure the safety of structures. There is the complete process of  Soil testing, structural engineer-approved drawing and design, material specification, proper maintenance, and structural audits at regular intervals. And digital billboards are definitely a different cult. They require much bigger investments, so short-term players or illegal media owners don’t enter this space. Also, as investment-heavy media, its safety is doubly ensured by serious evaluation by qualified engineers and technical teams.”

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BMC demolishes three illegal hoardings owned by Minimax Media's parent company Ego Media