Mithi river desilting scam: ED raids 8 locations in Mumbai

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday launched search operations at eight locations across Mumbai in connection with the Mithi river desilting scam, targeting contractors accused of submitting forged documents to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Sources said the raids are being carried out at premises linked to contractors who allegedly filed false memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the BMC regarding the dumping of silt extracted from the Mithi river.

The action stems from an FIR filed by Mumbai Police’s Economic Offence Wing naming 13 people — contractors, middlemen and BMC officials — under alleged charges of inflating bills, submitting forged MoUs and siphoning municipal funds between 2013 and 2023.

Earlier, Bollywood actor Dino Morea had also come under scrutiny in the same case and was raided and questioned by authorities, though not directly tied to desilting contracts.

The river, which flows through Mumbai’s suburbs, has long been at the centre of environmental and civic concerns, particularly during monsoon flooding. It is a 17.8-kilometre-long river that originates from the overflow of the Vihar and Powai lakes and drains into the Mahim creek and ultimately the Arabian Sea.

Since the catastrophic Mumbai floods of July 2005 — which resulted in over 1,000 deaths — the river has come under scrutiny for its heavy pollution and silt accumulation, reducing its capacity to carry stormwater during monsoons. Desilting operations are undertaken annually to ensure smooth flow of water.

The ED is examining financial trails to ascertain whether the funds released by the BMC were laundered or diverted through shell companies. The scam is estimated to involve several crores of rupees, and more people linked to the civic contracts may come under the scanner in the coming days, sources said.