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Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
We are helping Marathi manoos return to Mumbai, says Shinde
Mumbai: With BMC polls approaching and talk of the Thackeray cousins coming together, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday focused on Marathi voters in the city. In his speech in the state assembly, he claimed that the Mahayuti govt was helping the Marathi manoos return to the city. Speaking about the state's efforts to restart stalled redevelopment projects, he said, "Marathi people have to leave the city and move to distant suburbs like Vasai and Nalasopara. Many are stuck in transit camps for years. These homes will help Marathi people return to Mumbai." He attacked Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying, "They need to think about why the Marathi manoos was thrown out of Mumbai. They think of Marathi people only during elections. Then they ask, who are you?" You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai While replying to the Opposition's debate against the govt, Shinde said, "We cleared 21 cluster development projects. We are involving state undertakings like Mhada, SRA, and MMRDA to do joint ventures with developers to revive stalled projects." Shinde spoke of the govt's efforts for the redevelopment of BDD chawl in Worli, which has 15,600 residents who are mainly Marathi. He also spoke about the govt's efforts to provide housing for mill workers, who are also sons of the soil. "So far, we gave homes to 13,161 mill workers in the city," said Shinde. He spoke of redevelopment efforts at Abhyudaya Nagar, Motilal Nagar, Kamathipura and Patra chawl. On the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), he said, "It is wrong to say the govt is giving land to Adani. The govt also has a share in the DRP. Those who criticise the project—my question is, do they want locals to continue to live in poor conditions?" Referring to the Mithi river desilting scam, Shinde alleged those who are targeting Dino Morea could soon face the music. "Who was the contractor in the case? They see Dino Morea. But if he opens his mouth, then many people will become Morya," he said. In order to aid redevelopment of buildings in the airport's funnel zone, he said the govt took a decision to allow base plus intentional FSI. "This will help attract builders for redevelopment projects. "
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Mithi River desilting fraud: ED questions Dino Morea again, seeks further clarifications
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned actor Dino Morea again on Thursday as part of its money-laundering investigation related to the alleged irregularities in contracts to desilt the Mithi River, which caused a loss of over ₹65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The 49-year-old was at the ED's office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai for around six-and-a-half hours, during which investigators sought further information and clarifications from him, agency sources said. 'There were certain details that we needed to ascertain and verify. And for that, he was called again. The probe is still at a preliminary stage,' said an ED official, requesting anonymity. Morea arrived at the ED office around 10.30 am and left around 5 pm. The Mumbai unit of the central agency had previously summoned the actor on June 12 to record his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is investigating whether Morea and his brother Santino were involved in the alleged fraud or if they were linked to any part of the proceeds of crime generated by people and entities being probed in the case. The brothers have denied all allegations of their involvement in the case. Earlier, on June 6, the ED carried out searches at 18 locations across Mumbai, Kochi and Thrissur in connection with the investigation. The locations searched included the residential and/or office premises of Dino and Santino Morea, BMC engineer Prashant Ramgude, civic contractor Bhupendra Purohit, alleged intermediaries Jay Joshi and Ketan Kadam, and Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd, a Kochi-based company that rented machinery and equipment for the desilting work. According to the ED, the Morea brothers are allegedly close associates of Kadam. The ED's probe is based on Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) case, which it had registered in May and had subsequently questioned the Morea brothers last month. The EOW booked 13 people and entities in the case, including three BMC officials, for allegedly causing a wrongful loss of ₹65.54 crore to the BMC. On June 7, the ED said that its investigation and search operations had prima facie indicated that the accused people and others allegedly colluded to form a cartel with the intent to manipulate BMC's tenders related to desilting the Mithi River. 'This action effectively conferred a monopoly in [the] award of desilting contracts of Mithi River and caused payments at inflated rates for desilting works, resulting in undue gains to the contractors and associated parties, thereby causing financial loss to the public exchequer,' the agency had said in a statement. These undue financial gains were concealed by layering them through certain shell companies by the accused persons and others, the agency added. During the searches, the ED seized ₹7 lakh in cash and froze 22 bank accounts/fixed deposits and a demat account. The total amount seized or frozen is more than ₹1.25 crore so far, the agency said. Certain digital devices and incriminating documents were also seized that appeared to be relevant for further proceedings under the PMLA, according to the ED.
NDTV
19-06-2025
- NDTV
Mithi River Desilting 'Scam': Actor Dino Morea Appears Before Probe Agency ED
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Dino Morea appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here on Thursday to record his statement in connection with a money laundering probe linked to an alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi river desilting scam, officials said. Mr Morea reached the ED office situated at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai at around 10.30 am after being summoned by the federal agency, an official said. The actor's statement will be recorded as some financial transactions have been found allegedly linked to him and some accused persons, arrested earlier by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing in connection with the Mithi river desilting scam, the official said. A large number of media persons were present outside the probe agency's office. Earlier on June 12, Mr Morea was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate officials for several hours. The Enforcement Directorate on June 6 conducted searches at more than 15 locations in Mumbai, and Kochi in Kerala, including the premises of Dino Morea in Bandra (West) area here, those linked to his brother Santino, some Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, and contractors among others, official sources earlier said. The searches were conducted in Kochi as one of the companies that provided desilting equipment to the BMC -- Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd -- is based in this city, they said. The investigation is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources had said. The Enforcement Directorate case stems from a Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR filed in May against 13 persons, including contractors and civic officials, for an alleged Rs 65.54 crore scam in tenders awarded from 2017-2023 for desilting of the Mithi river, which flows through Mumbai and acts as a stormwater drainage channel for the metro city. The Uddhav Thackeray-led undivided Shiv Sena controlled the cash-rich BMC from 1997 till the party's split in 2022. After the expiry of the general body in 2022, the civic body was controlled by the state government, which was then headed by Eknath Shinde. It was alleged by the police in their complaint that BMC officials tailored the tender for the desilting contract in such a way that it benefited a particular supplier of machinery, and the contractors reportedly generated fraudulent bills for transporting the sludge out of Mumbai. The 49-year-old actor and his brother were questioned by the Mumbai Police EOW in this case last month also. The Morea brothers, it is understood, were questioned by the police about their alleged links with alleged middleman Ketan Kadam, arrested in the case along with another accused, Jai Joshi, apart from some financial transactions made in a company linked to Santino. Kadam and Joshi, according to police, were involved in the renting out of 'silt pusher' machines and multi-purpose amphibious pontoon machines to contractors who were carrying out Mithi river desilting work. The plan to desilt the river was planned by the Mumbai civic authorities following the 2005 floods, which brought the city to a grinding halt. In 2021, the Enforcement Directorate had attached Mr Morea's assets as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged bank fraud case against Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Sterling Biotech and its promoters.
India Gazette
19-06-2025
- India Gazette
Bollywood actor Dino Morea arrives at ED office amid Mithi River desilting case investigation
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 19 (ANI): Bollywood actor Dino Morea arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Mumbai on Thursday following his alleged involvement in the Rs 65 crore Mithi River desilting scam. This development comes after the ED conducted extensive raids in connection with the case. In the visuals, the 'Housefull 5' actor is seen entering the office of the ED on Thursday morning. The actor's involvement in the investigation stems from his alleged association with contractors and officials suspected of embezzling public funds meant for flood prevention and drainage maintenance in Mumbai. The Mithi River desilting project, initiated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies after the disastrous 2005 floods, aimed to ensure better flood management by clearing debris and maintaining the riverbed. However, the recent audits and investigations have raised concerns over inflated bills, fake work logs, and the diversion of funds. On June 6, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at fifteen locations across Mumbai and Kochi, including Morea's residence. These raids targeted individuals and organisations linked to the contractors and officials suspected of fraudulent activities related to the desilting work. The raids were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with the ED seeking to trace the proceeds of alleged financial misconduct. The Mithi River, one of Mumbai's critical drainage arteries, garnered nationwide attention following the 2005 floods, which highlighted the urgent need for effective flood prevention measures. Since then, multiple desilting operations have been carried out by civic agencies to prevent future flooding. However, investigations have unearthed discrepancies in the reported versus actual desilting work, sparking suspicions of widespread corruption in the management of the project's funds. In addition to Morea, his brother was also questioned by the ED about the case. The investigation follows earlier probes by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), both of which had flagged possible financial misconduct linked to the desilting operations. The ED's involvement comes after these reports, with the agency registering a money laundering case to investigate the illegal diversion of public funds. The Enforcement Directorate suspects that a network of contractors and middlemen may have been submitting false work completion reports to siphon off funds intended for vital infrastructure work. (ANI)
News18
19-06-2025
- News18
Dino Morea Appeared Before ED, Video From Agency's Office In Mumbai Goes Viral
Last Updated: This comes days after ED conducted a nearly 14-hour-long search at Dino Morea's Bandra residence. Bollywood actor Dino Morea appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, June 19. He was summoned by the agency in connection with the Rs 65-crore Mithi River desilting money laundering case. In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the news agency ANI, Dino Morea was seen arriving at the ED office in Mumbai. The actor sported a white shirt with blue jeans and was also seen carrying a bag in his hand. However, Dino avoided the paparazzi and walked straight into the office. #WATCH | Mumbai: Bollywood actor Dino Morea arrives at the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take part in the investigation related to the alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi river desilting case — ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025 This comes days after ED conducted a nearly 14-hour-long search at Dino Morea's Bandra residence. Apart from the actor's Mumbai residence, ED also carried out simultaneous search operations at 14 other locations across Mumbai and Kochi. Dino's brother's houses and the premises of contractors and middlemen were also searched by the ED. The investigation is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Previously, Dino Morea was also questioned by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police in connection with the scam. According to EOW sources and as quoted in the Free Press Journal, the actor was called in for questioning after investigators found several phone calls between him, his brother Santino Morea, and key accused Ketan Kadam. The content and purpose of these calls are now being examined. During the investigation, EOW found that ₹18 lakh was transferred to UBO Ridez, a company where Santino Morea- brother of Bollywood actor Dino Morea – serves as a director. According to police officials, the funds were transferred by Ketan Kadam, one of the prime accused in the case. 'We are investigating the reason for the transfer of funds from Ketan Kadam's account to UBO Ridez," an officer from the EOW told The Times Of India. Ketan Kadam is associated with Vodar India LLP and was arrested earlier this year for his alleged involvement in the scam related to the desilting of the Mithi River. Investigators noted that both Vodar India LLP and UBO Ridez- an electric cart company- operated out of the same address near Famous Studio in Worli, Mumbai. What Is The Mithi River Scam Case? The Mithi River desilting scam involves alleged financial misconduct in renting silt pusher machines and dredging equipment by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This ₹65 crore scam is under investigation by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police. According to the EOW, contractors and BMC officials conspired to inflate equipment rental costs, resulting in a wrongful loss to the government and public. The investigation has led to the arrest of several individuals, including contractors and intermediaries. First Published:
