BMC Desilting Scam: Contractors Arrested in Rs 65-Crore Conspiracy

The Mumbai Police's EOW arrested two contractors linked to the Rs 65-crore Mithi river desilting scam. Allegations include BMC officials favoring a supplier, inflated silt bills, and fraudulent transport invoices. The scam involves fake MoUs from 2013-2023, with more arrests expected.

The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) added two contractors to the list of arrests related to the Rs. 65-crore Mithi River desilting scam, increasing the number of detained individuals to five. The case revolves around alleged manipulations by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials who are said to have rigged tender processes to benefit specific machinery suppliers, resulting in inflated bills for silt removal.

According to officials, the recent arrests involve Sunil Upadhyay, a director at SNB Infrastructure, and Mahesh Purohit, a partner at MB Brothers' firm. These contractors allegedly collaborated with BMC officials and other middlemen to create fake Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for dumping grounds from 2013 to 2023. They were apprehended in Dadar and Deonar and have been remanded to police custody until December 16.

The EOW previously arrested middleman Ketan Kadam, Jai Joshi, and contractor Shersingh Rathore in this case. As investigations continue, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against 13 individuals at Azad Maidan police station, which includes a mix of contractors, middlemen, and company officials.

(With inputs from agencies.)