Mumbai: Ex-Police Commissioner Quaiser Khalid Addresses Ghatkopar Hoarding Collapse Amid Ongoing Scrutiny |
Mumbai: Though Mumbai police has yet not cleared its stand on role of former Railway concessioner Quaiser Khalid in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, leading to the death of 17 people, the sessions court has found his conduct and connection with his wife’s business partner Arshad Khan suspicious.
The sessions court last week rejected bail plea of Khan. In its detailed order the additional sessions judge SB Pawar has observed, “Various instances are mentioned in the charge-sheet by the investigating officer raising suspicion over the role played by Mr. Khalid in the transaction with Ego Media Pvt. Ltd. It prima facie appears that the applicant (Khan) is a partner with the wife of Mr. Khalid in a shop namely Mahapara Lakhanauvi and he was knowing Mr. Khalid since long prior to the disputed transaction.”
The court while discussing the case said that the case has to be viewed in two phases -‘ the first phase was to obtain permissions to erect hoarding admeasuring 120 x 140 ft without permission of BMC, by showing the plot of land belonged to Railway to get rid of the limitation on the size as well as of the permission of BMC. The second phase was defective construction, whereby the hoarding collapsed within one year of its construction.
Khan’s roles comes in the first phase to obtain requisite permissions and sanctions. ‘the original tender floated by GRP in the year 2020, was for hoarding admeasuring 40 x 40 ft and one of the condition of the tender was to obtain permission from BMC for the hoarding,’ the court noted.
However, the court further said, “it appears that after the transfer of the then Commissioner Mr. Sengavkar (Ravindra Sengaonkar) , when Mr. Khalid took the charge as Commissioner, the documents were procured in order to show that the plot of the land belonged to the Railway and not to the State Government, so as to dispense with the limit on the size of the hoarding as well as the requirement of the permission of BMC for the hoarding. It further appears that the original term as well as the size of the hoarding was increased during the tenure of Mr. Khalid.”
The court further went on to say that, “The charge-sheet finds reference to the disclosure made by accused Bhavesh Bhinde that co-accused Janhavi Marathe had issued cheques to the applicant (Khan) at the instance of Mr. Khalid for the purpose of increasing the term and size of the hoarding.”
“The statement of Law Officer Shirsath, attached to GRP Commissionerate shows that initially he had prepared draft to the effect that the permission of BMC would be required but Mr. Khalid instructed him to change the draft and accordingly it was lateron changed,” the court said adding that Khalid’s role raises suspicion.
