The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 15 places on Friday as part of its investigation into the Mithi River desilting scam. One of the locations included the Mumbai home of actor Dino Morea.
BMC Lost ₹65 Crore in Alleged Fraud
The ED suspects that the scam caused a ₹65 crore loss to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The agency is investigating the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to officials, the raids were carried out at several locations in Mumbai and Kochi. These included the homes of Dino Morea and his brother, as well as offices of contractors and middlemen.
Dino Morea Was Recently Questioned
Before these raids, the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had already questioned Dino Morea regarding the case. The EOW had earlier filed an FIR against 13 people, including contractors and BMC officials.
Irregularities in Desilting Work
The ED’s investigation is based on the EOW’s FIR, which alleged major irregularities in the desilting of the Mithi River. The accused are suspected of working together to cheat the BMC.
The scam allegedly happened between 2021 and 2023. During this period, sludge was supposed to be removed from the Mithi River and transported for safe dumping. However, the ED believes the process was tampered with to benefit selected suppliers.
The tenders for hiring dredging machines were also allegedly rigged to favour certain companies.
SIT Probing Larger ₹1,100 Crore Spending
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is also reviewing a larger expenditure of ₹1,100 crore spent on the Mithi River desilting project from 2005 to 2021. Officials are checking if more financial mismanagement occurred during that time.
A Key Flood-Prevention Project Under Scrutiny
The Mithi River is an important part of Mumbai’s flood-prevention system. It flows through the city and empties into the Arabian Sea. The desilting project was designed to prevent flooding during the monsoon.
Now, investigators are treating this as part of a wider probe into corruption and misuse of funds in one of Mumbai’s biggest civic projects.
