ED Summons Actor Dino Morea In Rs 65 Crore Mithi River Desilting Scam Probe

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actor Dino Morea over the alleged Mithi River desilting scam in Mumbai.

ED summons Dino Morea in Mithi River Desilting Scam

Source : Instagram/thedinomorea

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Bollywood actor Dino Morea in connection with the alleged corruption in the Mithi River desilting project in Mumbai.

ED issues summons to actor Dino Morea

Dino Morea has been asked to appear before ED officials next week to record his statement in the ongoing money laundering investigation. This marks the first time the central agency has summoned the actor in this case.

While this is the ED’s first official summons to the actor, Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has already questioned him twice in relation to the scam. The alleged irregularities in the Mithi River desilting project are currently under probe by both the EOW and ED, with several contractors and civic officials also under the scanner.

On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at more than 15 locations in Mumbai and Kerala as part of an investigation into the alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi River cleaning scam. This probe is related to money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The raids included the home of actor Dino Morea, BMC Assistant Engineer Prashant Ramugade, and several contractors linked to the case. Dino Morea, who is connected to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, has been questioned twice before by Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The ED is now reviewing financial records and seized items from the raids to track the flow of the allegedly misused money.

What is the Mithi River Cleaning Scam?

The investigation began after the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered an FIR naming 13 people, including senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials and private contractors. The case involves fake payments for cleaning and desilting the Mithi River, work that authorities say was never actually done between 2007 and 2021.

Investigators suspect BMC tenders for renting sludge pushers and dredging machines were rigged to favour select suppliers, causing inflated costs and financial losses.

A Kochi-based company, Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd, is at the center of the controversy, allegedly providing desilting equipment to BMC at high prices and playing a key role in the irregularities.