Mithi River desilting case: Mumbai Police question Bollywood actor Dino Morea
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Bollywood actor Dino Morea has been questioned by the Mumbai Police's EOW regarding his alleged connections to a Rs 65-crore Mithi River desilting scam. Investigators are scrutinizing financial transactions and phone records linking the actor and his brother to individuals already arrested in the case.
Investigation into the Mithi River Desilting Scam
The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has initiated a significant probe into the Mithi River desilting project, centering on allegations of financial irregularities totaling approximately Rs 65.54 crore. Central to this investigation is Bollywood actor Dino Morea, who was summoned for questioning by the EOW on a Friday to clarify facts that surfaced during the ongoing inquiry. This marks a notable development in a case that has already seen the arrest of three individuals, indicating a widening scope of the investigation.
The Role of Digital Evidence and Financial Links
The decision to summon Dino Morea was primarily driven by digital forensic evidence. According to investigators, phone records obtained during the probe indicated direct contact between the actor and persons of interest linked to the scam. This digital footprint has prompted authorities to dig deeper into the nature of these communications and their relevance to the alleged corrupt practices, which include inflated equipment rental rates and administrative irregularities in the awarding of river desilting contracts.
Corporate Connections and Familial Scrutiny
A critical component of the EOW's investigation involves the corporate entity UBO Ridez Private Limited. Investigators have identified that Dino Morea, his brother Santino Rocco Morea, and Punita Kadam—the wife of one of the arrested suspects, Ketan Kadam—served as directors of this company. The nexus between these individuals and the financial flow within the company is currently under intense scrutiny, with police specifically verifying financial transactions between the Kadam family and Santino Rocco Morea.
Broader Implications of the Mithi River Project
The Mithi River, which flows through Mumbai, has long been a subject of significant public infrastructure spending due to its role in the city's drainage and flood mitigation systems. The alleged diversion of funds meant for desilting raises serious questions about the oversight of municipal and state-level contracts. As federal agencies have also begun probing the matter alongside the Mumbai Police, the scale of the potential financial fraud suggests a systemic failure in project monitoring that could have wider ramifications for public works in the region.
Future Trends and Judicial Outlook
As the investigation progresses, the involvement of high-profile individuals and the scrutiny of corporate directorships suggest that the EOW is moving toward a comprehensive audit of the project’s financial history. The repeated questioning of the Morea brothers, following their initial interrogation in May 2025, underscores the authorities' intent to solidify their case. Future developments will likely depend on the forensic auditing of UBO Ridez Private Limited and the ability of the EOW to prove that the financial irregularities were intentional acts of misappropriation rather than standard business operations.
Conclusion
In summary, the questioning of Dino Morea represents a high-profile turn in the Mithi River desilting scam. With three arrests already made and federal agencies involved, the investigation is entering a critical phase. The focus remains on disentangling the complex web of financial transactions, corporate directorships, and personal associations to determine the extent of the fraud that has allegedly siphoned off millions from public infrastructure funds.
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