Mumbai: The sessions court has granted bail to Janhvi Marathe, former director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, which constructed the hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar in May. The court observed that she had made a case for bail, as co-accused Bhavesh Bhinde has also been released on bail.
The same court rejected her bail plea in August, observing that she had played a crucial role in constructing the hoarding. However, the court later granted bail to her partner, Bhavesh Bhinde.
Following Bhinde’s order, Marathe withdrew her plea from high court, and moved the plea before the sessions court on the ground of parity with Bhinde. Meanwhile, the Mumbai police is yet to take a call on whether to challenge the order granting bail to Bhinde.
Marathe was arrested on June 8, from a hotel in Goa, after her plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by the sessions court, on May 31. Marathe, however, had claimed that she had resigned from the company in December 2023 and hence she cannot be held liable for the tragedy.
While refusing to grant the anticipatory bail to her the court had said, she had played a key role as all the documents and letters submitted before the authorities had her signature.
The prosecution had contended that she was a director and has signed all the relevant papers along with Bhavesh Bhinde. The prosecution claimed that in 2020, along with Bhide, Marathe participated in a tender for a hoarding in Ghatkopar East published by the Railway Police Commissionerate, Mumbai, on the government website.
The prosecution had also claimed that there was a condition which made it mandatory to obtain permission from the BMC for the construction of the said hoarding. Additionally, the prosecution said, that Marathe, while filling the tender for the said hoarding, signed the agreement and mentioned that she accepted the terms and conditions of the said tender.
Hence it was contended that Marathe was aware of the need for permission from the BMC for the said hoarding, but in collusion with other accused and officials of the civic body and Railway Police Commissionerate, a huge hoarding was erected near the BPCL petrol pump, without the permission from the corporation.
