Actor questioned as probe tracks money trail between contractors and his bank account. He and his brother Santino Morea were questioned for over five hours on Wednesday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police in connection with the ongoing Mithi River scam.
The Mithi spans a total length of 17.84 km, flowing from the Powai and Vihar lakes to its confluence with the Arabian Sea at Mahim creek. File Pic/Ashish Raje
Actor Dino Morea and his brother Santino Morea were questioned for over five hours on Wednesday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police in connection with the ongoing Mithi River desilting scam.
The brothers arrived at the commissioner of police's office around 12.45 pm in a black car, their faces covered with masks. Following questioning, they left the premises at approximately 6.45 pm. A battery of media personnel attempted to speak with them, but the brothers declined to comment. A senior officer associated with the investigation confirmed that the SIT has uncovered key leads, including financial transactions between Dino Morea and the main accused, Ketan Kadam and Jayesh Joshi.
Actor Dino Morea arrives at the commissioner of police’s office on Wednesday. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Among the 13 people arrested so far, two primary accused are Ketan Kadam, a middleman and director of Woder India LLP, and Jayesh Joshi of Virgo Specialities Pvt Ltd, a company that allegedly supplied silt-pusher machines and other equipment to contractors involved in the desilting work.
The EOW is investigating whether funds received by Kadam from these contractors were subsequently transferred to Dino Morea's bank account. As part of the probe, a forensic audit is underway on 20 to 22 bank accounts, focusing specifically on transactions tied to the suspected scam.
"It is premature to comment on this matter as the forensic audit report is awaited," said a senior EOW officer. More individuals linked to the irregularities are expected to be summoned for questioning in the coming days. In a bid to carry out the multi-crore scam, the accused allegedly arranged foreign trips for BMC officials and their families in exchange for favourable treatment in awarding desilting contracts.
According to EOW sources, Ketan Kadam sponsored international travel, including flights and luxury hotel stays, for BMC Assistant Engineer Prashant Ramgude. Ramgude reportedly took a day trip to Singapore with his family, with hotel arrangements at the InterContinental Singapore made by Kadam. A similar arrangement was made for a trip to Dubai, where Kadam again handled the hotel bookings. Police have recovered detailed records of these transactions from Kadam.
So far, three municipal officers have been questioned in the case. Some documents from the municipal corporation are still pending and have been formally requested by investigators. "Dino Morea may be called in again for further questioning if required," the officer added.
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