Mumbai: The sessions court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Arshad Khan, one of the key accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse. A detailed order explaining the grounds of bail rejection would be made available later.

Khan is said to be the business partner of a senior IPS official, who has come under scanner for allegedly flouting norms to grant permission to the ill-fated hoarding, which claimed 17 lives in May 2024.

According to the prosecution, Khan received more than Rs1 crore from Ego Media, the firm which erected the killer hoarding, to bribe the officials and secure the permissions. It was also revealed that between July 2021 and December 2023, Rs84 lakh was transferred into 18 accounts by Ego Media and Gujju Ads Pvt Ltd.

Khan was caught from Uttar Pradesh in December 2024 after being on the run for seven months. In his bail plea filed on January 15, he questioned that if it's true that he bribed top police officials then why their names are not included in the case. “This shows that the investigation is baseless and biased,” read the plea. He also sought relief, pointing out that the other accused in the case have already been granted bail.