Mithi River desilting fraud: Cops probing bank transactions between Dino Morea, arrested accused

Hindustan Times

7 days ago

MUMBAI: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police has found a couple of bank transactions between actor Dino Morea and Ketan Kadam, one of the arrested accused in the Mithi River desilting fraud case, officers said. The transactions are from the period of the alleged financial irregularities found in the desilting work contracts, from 2019 to 2022, officers added.
An EOW officer said the agency learned about the financial transactions between Morea and Kadam, who have known each other for around 25 years, after the latter was arrested and interrogated. The officer, however, refused to divulge further details such as the amounts involved in the transactions and who paid whom.
Morea and his brother Santino were also called in for questioning on Wednesday regarding the transactions. The siblings reached the EOW's office around 1 pm and were questioned until late in the evening, the officer said. They were also asked to bring some documents, which are being verified, added the officer.
This was the second time this week that the Moreas were called in for questioning. They were interrogated for eight hours on May 26 after the EOW came across phone records indicating the brothers had been in contact with some people linked to the case. The agency has also found that Santino Morea and Ketan Kadam's wife, Punita, are directors in a private company, UBO Ridez Private Limited, which operates Victoria-style electric carriages in Mumbai.
The EOW has also initiated the process of hiring an audit firm to assist it in the investigation. Since there are multiple firms and bank accounts involved, a forensic audit is required to get clarity in the case, said the officer.
The agency has booked 13 people so far in the case, including three Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officers. The EOW has also sought certain documents from the civic body, as it is investigating how Ketan Kadam's desilting services company, Woder India LLP, got various civic contracts. Kadam was arrested on May 7, along with Jayesh Joshi, who is associated with Virgo Specialties Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai-based industrial product manufacturer.
The case involves alleged financial irregularities, inflated tenders, and corrupt practices linked to desilting work for the Mithi River, which, according to the EOW, led to a loss of ₹65.54 crore for the BMC.
The accused BMC officers are accused of publishing tenders for desilting machines and equipment with tailored specifications such that a Kochi-based company, Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd, got a monopoly. When contractors approached Matprop to buy the equipment, they were directed to Joshi and Kadam, who, in connivance with the company, rented the machines at inflated rates, according to the agency.