Mithi river desilting 'scam': Actor Dino Morea appears before Mumbai Police to record statement

Mumbai, Oct 2 (PTI) Bollywood actor Dino Morea appeared before the Mumbai Police on Friday in connection with the alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi river desilting scam, a police official said.

The investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities in a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sanitation contract awarded for cleaning and desilting the Mithi river.

According to police sources, the civic body had initiated a major project to clear sludge from the Mithi river using specialised equipment, including 'sludge pushers' and 'dredging machines,' procured from Kochi-based firm Matprop Technical Services Private Limited.

Subsequent investigations revealed that key accused Ketan Kadam and Jay Joshi allegedly colluded with officials from Matprop and the BMC's Storm Water Drains (SWD) department to siphon off Rs 65 crore through fraudulent billing and inflated costs.

Dino Morea's name surfaced during the probe after call detail records (CDR) of main accused Ketan Kadam revealed multiple communications between Kadam, the actor and the latter's brother.

Investigating agencies suspect that apart from personal acquaintance, financial transactions took place between Morea and Kadam, prompting the police to examine the actor's potential links to the case.

Besides the Mumbai Police investigation, the case is also being probed by federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), over money-laundering allegations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Police officials stated that questioning is underway to ascertain the nature of Morea's dealings with the key accused and clarify his involvement in the alleged scam.