ED raids 15 locations including actor Dino Morea’s home in ₹65 crore Mithi River cleaning scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at over 15 locations in Mumbai and Kerala on Friday, including the residence of Bollywood actor Dino Morea, as part of an investigation into a ₹65 crore scam related to the Mithi River cleaning project. The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to uncover alleged misuse of public funds meant for flood control and drainage work in Mumbai.

The investigation follows a case registered by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which had earlier booked 13 individuals, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials and contractors, for fraudulent payments involving river cleaning contracts. These contracts reportedly involved the hiring of specialized dredging machinery, and officials suspect that tenders were manipulated to favor certain companies. The alleged fraud pertains to work either exaggerated or not performed between 2007 and 2021.

During the raids, officials reviewed bank records, digital files, and financial documents linked to the accused parties. The Mithi River, an important waterway draining into the Arabian Sea, has been subject to recurrent silt build-up and flooding, which necessitated the desilting contracts. The alleged irregularities have reportedly caused a ₹65 crore loss to the BMC.

Dino Morea, whose residence was among the sites raided, was previously questioned by the EOW as part of the probe. Alongside him, the raids targeted his brother’s residence, the offices and homes of contractors, middlemen, and a BMC engineer involved in the project. The ED is investigating the financial transactions related to the river cleaning work under anti-money laundering laws.

The Mithi River desilting case remains under active investigation, with authorities aiming to identify all those involved in the alleged money laundering and corruption related to flood control contracts in Mumbai. The probe is ongoing, with further developments expected as the inquiry progresses.