Mithi river desilting ‘scam’: SIT registers FIR, BMC suffered ₹65 crore loss

Sludge and sediments being removed from the Mithi river. File photo
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Tuesday registered an FIR against five contractors, three Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, three middlemen, and two private company officials for wrongful loss to the civic body worth more than ₹65.54 crore in the alleged Mithi River desilting scam. The scam is claimed to be worth ₹1,000 crore. 

Teams from the EOW launched coordinated searches at eight to nine locations on Tuesday, including the offices and residential premises of several contractors and officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. (BMC). This action was initiated because of a criminal complaint lodged after a preliminary inquiry was elevated into a formal case. Five contractors were accused of signing fake Mou’s while three BMC officials were also named in the FIR.

 The EOW official said that a case was lodged under sections 406, 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code against BMC assistant engineer Prashant Ramugade, deputy chief engineers Ganesh Bendre and Tayshette (full name not known), and Deepak Mohan, Kishore Menon, Jay Joshi, Ketan Kadam and Bhupendra Purohit, the directors of Acute Designing, Kailash Construction Company, NA Construction, Nikhil Construction, and JRS Infrastructure, respectively. Led by EOW’s joint commissioner VD Mishra, the SIT will examine how ₹1,100 crore was spent by the BMC and MMRDA on the project since 2005. 

The Mithi River, once a natural drain for monsoon runoff, has been plagued by encroachments and pollution over the years. Despite significant investments, the river continues to suffer from poor water quality and inadequate waste management. The ongoing investigations aim to address these issues and ensure accountability in the utilisation of public funds.

(With inputs from Niranjan K. Nayanar)