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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mithi desilting scam probe to cover silt removal since 2006
Mumbai: The scope of the investigation into the Mithi river desilting scam will be expanded. While earlier the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was looking at irregularities for only three years, it will now examine the quantum of silt removed from 2006 onwards, said industries minister Uday Samant in the legislative council on Thursday. "It will reveal how remote control duped Mumbai," said Samant. The issue was raised again through a calling attention motion by BJP MLC Prasad Lad, who first brought up the issue leading to the setting up of the SIT. Highlighting the seriousness of the matter, Lad demanded that the investigation into this scam be extended right from 2012, adding the scam may be worth over Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 crore. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Samant said for three years the SIT examined 3.4 lakh photographs and could see only dumpers but no silt. He further said the norms for dumping silt were changed in 2012. "Till 2012, the silt would go to the Deonar dumping ground where even today it is possible to know how much has been dumped since 1930. In 2012, the norms allowed dumping on private sites. Since 2006, Rs 331.73 crore have been spent on the Mithi River desilting work. We have currently checked expenditure from the year 2019 to 2024. The period from 2006 is still to be probed and it will be done," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab objected to the issue being repeatedly raised in the House. "Probe all, investigate everyone. But do not be lenient on those who come for your mercy. There should be equal justice to all," said Parab, pointing out that many leaders who were part of the BMC standing committee and passed the tenders were now with the ruling alliance. Bhai Jagtap of Congress said that the MCOCA should also be applied to the arrested contractors and engineers of the BMC. Reading out the names of the accused, Samant said Jai Joshi was out on bail while the mastermind Ketan Kadam, who owns nightclubs and other properties, is in judicial custody. "Ketan Kadam has a partner called Santino Morea. We want to assure the people of Mumbai, no guilty individual will be left out in the open. We will ensure that SIT will expose how 'remote control' duped Mumbai," said Samant.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Sessions court denies bail to Ketan Kadam in Mithi River desilting contract scam, says he is 'key accused'
Mumbai: The sessions court in the city denied bail to Ketan Kadam, an alleged middleman involved in the Rs 65 crore Mithi River desilting contract scam. The court observed that, prima facie, he played a crucial role in the conspiracy, causing wrongful loss to the civic body. On July 11, Additional Sessions Judge N G Shukla rejected Kadam's bail plea, and on Tuesday, in the reasoned order, observed that the probe was still ongoing. "After considering the material placed on record, it appears that the role of the applicant is crucial in setting the terms and conditions of the contract for desilting work since prior to the entering of Virgo in the MOU for the purchase of machines and entering into an agreement for hire with the contractors," the order said. The prosecutor opposing his bail stated that the BMC had given contracts for desilting the Mithi River at different sites in Mumbai to various companies by inviting tenders from 2019 to 2024. The prosecution's case was that Kadam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Virgo Specialties Pvt Ltd, allegedly conspired with BMC officials and contractors to meddle with tender conditions, forcing contractors to hire machines from his firm. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Claiming he had no role as alleged, Kadam sought bail also on parity, citing co-accused who were released. The court observed that statements from several witnesses, including high-ranking BMC officers, are yet to be recorded in the case. The court perused the material on record and observed that "the applicant (Kadam) personally gained various amounts from the contractors in the bank account of his shell company… This material prima facie shows that the applicant is the key accused in the conspiracy of causing wrongful loss to BMC." The case, being investigated by EOW, is against 13 persons.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Mithi river desilting ‘scam': Court says no justification of ‘Rs 2.41 crore as CEO salary', rejects accused's bail plea
In a detailed order rejecting the bail plea of the main accused in the Mithi river desilting 'scam' case, a special court has considered that there was no document to show that the accused was given Rs 2.41 crore as salary as CEO to explain the transfer of money to his personal account. The court had on July 11 rejected bail to Ketan Kadam, the CEO of firm Virgo Specialities. The Mumbai Police had claimed that Kadam entered into a contract with a company — Maptrop Technical Services — which supplied machines in a manner which compelled contractors carrying out desilting of the river to hire the machines at an inflated rate, causing wrongful loss to the civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 'It appears from statement of Bhushan Salunke and ledger accounts statement of M/s. Virgo that the said company had transferred Rs 6 crores for purchase of the machines to MAPTROP Ltd. and out of that, Rs.2,41,20,000/- has been transferred in the personal account of the applicant (Kadam). Even though the Advocate for the applicant submitted that said amount is salary of the applicant as CEO, however there is no document for such justification for receiving such huge salary. Even there is no document showing that, how much monthly salary was agreed to be given by Virgo to the applicant,' special judge N G Shukla said in the order, which was made available on Tuesday. The case against Kadam and others including BMC officials is that while tenders were issued for desilting of the Mithi river from 2019 to 2024, conditions were inserted in the terms of agreement to compel contractors to hire machines from the company linked to Kadam. He denied this, claiming that contractors were free to purchase machines from other companies as per the tender documents. One of the allegations against Kadam is that he incurred expenses of flight tickets and lodging of three BMC officials from his bank account for visits to Delhi for demonstration of the machines, as was submitted by additional public prosecutor Chaitrali Panshikar. 'If applicant would have acted merely as an employee, he had no reason to spent money from his personal account on flight tickets and hotel expenses of BMC officers prior to execution of tripartite agreement (MOU) and Agreement of Hire with the contractors. This clearly shows involvement of applicant as a conspirator in setting terms and conditions of the tenders in a manner of compelling the contractors to hire the machines from Virgo. There was preplan of applicant to purchase machines by setting the terms of tenders, therefore, he has incurred said expenses,' the court said, referring to the agreement which said that the supplier can only rent machines from Virgo. Kadam had referred to terms and conditions, claiming no such compulsion to hire was imposed. The court also said that prima facie, there is proof that Kadam had personally gained from the contractors through shell companies, calling him the key person in the conspiracy who acted as intermediary with the BMC. 'Investigation is still in progress and statements of number of the witnesses, including the high ranking BMC officers, are yet to be recorded. Considering influencing personality of applicant, if released on bail, he may influence witnesses and create hurdle in investigation,' the court said. The Enforcement Directorate has also this week sought permission to record Kadam's statement in jail in connection with its own probe into the case.
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mithi River desilting fraud: ED to question Ketan Kadam in Arthur Road jail
MUMBAI: A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Friday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to question Ketan Kadam, an intermediary in the Mithi desilting project and a key accused in the scam. He was arrested on May 7 by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for alleged irregularities in the execution of contracts for the project. On the same day, special judge NG Shukla rejected Kadam's bail plea. Mithi River desilting fraud: ED to question Ketan Kadam in Arthur Road jail The special court directed the superintendent of the Arthur Road jail to allow the ED officials to question Kadam and record his statement between July 28 and August 1. The court order came in response to the request put forward by the ED, stating that Kadam might be a key accused in the alleged fraud. 'The Superintendent of Arthur Road Jail is further directed to allow the concerned (ED) officers to carry necessary equipment along with them for the purpose of recording Kadam's statement', said special judge RB Rote. Kadam, the chief executive of an industrial product manufacturer Virgo Specialties in Mumbai, allegedly charged inflated rates to rent silt pusher machines and dredging equipment from a Kochi-based company named Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd. The flight tickets and hotel expenses of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officers who visited Kerala and Delhi to inspect desilting machines were borne by Ketan Kadam, the court observed in its hearing on June 21 and added some BMC officers worked hand-in-glove with Kadam to fix the terms and conditions of the tender for desilting machines so that they would benefit in the future. The BMC's tender was also tailored in such a way that Matprop gained a monopoly over the contracts, according to the EOW. The ED's probe is based on a case registered in May by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police. The scam allegedly occurred between 2017 and 2023 causing ₹65.54 crore loss to the BMC. It came into light in May 2025 when the EOW flagged the scam and booked 13 individuals, including contractors and three BMC officials. On June 7, the ED had said that its investigation and search operations prima facie indicated that the accused and others colluded to form a cartel with the intent of manipulating BMC's tenders related to the desilting of Mithi River. In the same month, the ED conducted multiple raids in Mumbai and Kochi in connection with the alleged scam. The ED also questioned Dino Morea and his brother Santino Morea, BMC officials and contractors.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
SIT probe in Mithi river scam will expose how ‘remote control' duped Mumbai, says Samant
Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Thursday said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Mithi river desilting scam will investigate works done from 2006 and added that it will expose how 'remote control' duped Mumbai, without naming anyone. The minister's remark is perceived as an apparent reference to the Thackeray family which had controlled the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for decades — both Bal and Uddhav Thackeray had claimed that 'remote control of power' was with the party. 'Since year 2006, a total of Rs 331.73 crore have been spent on the Mithi river desilting work. We have currently checked expenditure from year 2019 to 2024. The period from 2006 is still to be probed and it will be done. But we need some more time for the same,' said Samant, replying to the calling attention motion raised by ruling side legislators on the alleged scam. BJP MLC Rajhans Singh raised the issue in the legislative council, alleging corruption in the work. 'The contractors and the officials are embracing each other for the sake of this project. There is no clarity as to when the project will be completed and what action will be taken against those guilty?' asked Singh. BJP MLC Pravin Darekar said that the big-wigs involved in the scam should face the action. Another BJP MLC Prasad Lad questioned the unavailability of proof of digging silt worth lakhs of metric tonne from the river. Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab from the Opposition backed Darekar saying everyone should be probed without bias. 'Probe all, investigate everyone. But do not be lenient on those who come for your mercy. There should be equal justice to all,' said Parab, pointing out that many leaders who headed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) standing committee and passed these proposals are now with the ruling alliance. Bhai Jagtap of Congress said that the MCOCA should also be slapped on the arrested contractors, engineers of the BMC. Samant read out the names of the accused saying one Jai Joshi is out on bail while the mastermind Ketan Kadam, who owns night clubs and other properties, is in judicial custody. 'Ketan Kadam has a partner called Santino Morea. We want to assure to the people of Mumbai, no guilty individual will be left out in open. We will ensure that SIT will expose how 'remote control' duped Mumbai,' said Samant. Morea is a brother of actor Dino Morea who is a friend of Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray.
