Housefull 5 Actor Dino Morea & Brother Santino Summoned By ED in Mithi River Desilting Scam Probe

Dino Morea In Trouble: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Bollywood actor Dino Morea and his brother Santino Morea for questioning. This is in connection with an alleged corruption case related to the desilting and cleaning of Mumbai's Mithi River. The actor is expected to appear before ED officials next week to provide his statement.

On June 7, Dino Morea's Bandra residence was searched by ED officials as part of the investigation into the multi-crore Mithi River desilting scam. After nearly 14 hours of search operations and questioning, the ED team left his house. Alongside Dino's residence, searches were conducted at 14 other locations across Mumbai and Kochi.

Financial Links Under Scrutiny

The ED is investigating financial connections between Dino Morea and middlemen arrested in the case. Officials are also examining transactions involving UBO Ridez, a company owned by Dino's brother, which allegedly received Rs 18 lakh from the accused party. These financial links have raised suspicions about their involvement in the scam.

Previously, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had summoned Dino and his brother twice. This followed revelations that they had known middleman Ketan Kadam for over two decades. Kadam is believed to have played a significant role in orchestrating the scam.

Mithi River's Environmental Challenges

The Mithi River, stretching 18.64 km through Mumbai, flows through areas with dense slum settlements and industrial zones. It serves as a crucial stormwater drain during monsoons but has become severely polluted due to unchecked dumping of garbage, sewage, and industrial waste by nearby residents and establishments.

The river's poor condition gained attention after the 2005 Mumbai floods. Authorities then initiated a clean-up drive to remove sludge and restore its natural flow. However, allegations of large-scale corruption soon emerged regarding the desilting project sanctioned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Investigations Reveal Irregularities

Investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed several irregularities in the project. These included manipulation of tender processes, favoritism in awarding contracts, and inflated billing—issues that may have caused significant financial losses to the civic body.

Last month, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Mumbai police's EOW booked 13 individuals for causing wrongful loss to the civic body worth over Rs 65.54 crore in this alleged scam. Among those booked were five private contractors, three BMC officials, three middlemen, and two private company officials.

Desilting work contracts worth nearly Rs 1,100 crore are currently under scrutiny as part of this investigation into corruption allegations surrounding Mumbai's Mithi River clean-up efforts.