Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: Chargesheet Flags Ignored Soft Soil Warning

In its 3,299-page chargesheet, police have also pointed to alleged collusion of top officials in GRP, BMC and Ego Media Private Limited

An excavator operator had warned that the place in Mumbai's Ghatkopar where a 120 ft x120 ft hoarding was being planned had soft soil, but this was ignored. Sixteen months later, the massive billboard came crashing down during a storm, killing 17 people and injuring 84 others.

In its 3,299-page chargesheet filed in a Mumbai court, the Special Investigation Team of Mumbai Crime Branch has also pointed to the alleged collusion of top officials in Government Railway Police (GRP), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Ego Media Private Limited that set the stage for the May 13 tragedy.

According to the chargesheet, an excavator was at work to set up the huge billboard when a tree fell. The operator sensed soft soil and recommended a soil check so that building plans can be accordingly tweaked to ensure stability of the huge structure. This check would have taken 15 days.