Arshad Khan claims money received from Ego Media was for medicines

MUMBAI: Arshad Khan, the purported business partner of the wife of suspended additional director-general of police, Quaiser Khalid, arrested in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse which claimed 17 lives, claimed in his statement to the police that the money he received in the bank account of his family members from Ego Media Private Limited were for the supply of medicines to Bhavesh Bhinde, founder and director of Ego Media Private Limited.

Bhinde allegedly ordered medicines from Khan’s brother-in-law, who runs a medical store in the city, to distribute to the public during Covid-19 pandemic. Police officials have been recording statements of 16 people, all residents of Govandi, whose bank accounts were allegedly used by Khan to deposit multiple cheques of Ego Media, totalling ₹84 lakh. He allegedly later withdrew the money.

Arshad Khan was produced in court on Thursday after his police custody ended and was sent to judicial custody. “Khan has not been giving proper answers. Hence, we have been recording the statements of the 16 people, whose bank accounts were used by Khan, to get the facts,” said a police officer.

Police are also gathering details from the concerned banks in order to get the trail of money and to find out if Khan had given any sums to GRP officials and BMC officials, said the police officer. Khan has been repeatedly claiming that the money deposited in the bank accounts was for the medicine supply and was in no connected to the hoarding.

Khan’s name came up during the questioning of Ego Media’s former director Janhavi Marathe, who revealed in her police statement that Ego Media had issued several blank cheques to him in 2021 and 2022 after Khalid gave them the approval to install hoardings along the Eastern Express Highway without calling for tenders.

At least 17 people died and 74 injured after a 140x120 hoarding in Ghatkopar East, erected by Ego Media, collapsed on May 14 last year. Ego Media issued several blank cheques to Khan in 2021 and 2022 after Khalid, then railway police commissioner, gave approval for the hoarding, the source said.