Mithi River desilting scam: ED summons actor Dino Morea, his brother, BMC officials

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned at least eight individuals, including Bollywood actor Dino Morea, his brother, and several Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, for questioning next week in connection with a money laundering case. The investigation centers on an alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi River desilting "scam," according to official sources.

The summonses were issued following widespread searches conducted by the federal probe agency on Friday. More than 15 premises linked to these individuals were raided across Mumbai in Maharashtra and Kochi in Kerala.

"Around eight to nine people, including actor Dino Morea, his brother Santino, and some Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials, have been asked to appear before the agency at the ED office in Mumbai on different dates next week," a source revealed. Their statements will be formally recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) once they depose.

On Friday, the ED's search operations included Dino Morea's residence in Bandra, premises linked to his brother, as well as those of BMC officials and contractors implicated in the case.

The ED's money laundering case is based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed in May by the Mumbai Police economic offenses wing (EOW). That FIR named 13 individuals, including contractors and civic officials, in connection with an alleged ₹65.54 crore scam.

The alleged irregularities pertain to tenders awarded between 2017 and 2023 for the desilting of the Mithi River, a vital stormwater drainage channel for Mumbai.

The cash-rich BMC was under the control of the undivided Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, from 1997 until the party's split in 2022. Following the expiry of the general body in 2022, the civic body's administration fell under the state government, then headed by Eknath Shinde.

Police complaints allege that BMC officials manipulated the desilting contract tender specifications to favour a particular machinery supplier. Furthermore, contractors reportedly generated fraudulent bills for transporting sludge out of Mumbai.

Actor Dino Morea and his brother had previously been questioned by the Mumbai Police EOW last month regarding this case, with the 49-year-old actor having undergone police questioning twice. It is understood that the Morea brothers were questioned about their alleged links with suspected middleman Ketan Kadam, who has been arrested in the case along with another accused, Jai Joshi, and concerning certain financial transactions made in a company linked to Santino Morea.

According to police, Kadam and Joshi were involved in renting out 'silt pusher' machines and multi-purpose amphibious pontoon machines to contractors undertaking the Mithi River desilting work.

This marks the second instance of the actor facing scrutiny from the ED. In 2021, the agency attached his assets as part of a money laundering investigation related to an alleged bank fraud case against Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Sterling Biotech and its promoters.

The plan to desilt the Mithi River was initially conceived by Mumbai civic authorities following the devastating 2005 floods, which brought the city to a standstill.