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The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police arrested Shersingh Rathore, 49, owner of Maindeep Enterprises, in connection to the ₹65 crore fraud involving the Mithi River desilting project. Rathore, a resident of Borivali West, was awarded the contract to clear silt from the Mithi river between 2021-22—a key drainage channel designed to prevent flooding in Mumbai.
Instead of removing river silt, Rathore allegedly used construction debris and submitted fake photographs of silt removal on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Work Monitoring Software to claim payments.
Forged Agreements and Unverified Dumping Sites
Investigations revealed that the contractor submitted three fake Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with landowners to dump debris. Two landowners had never signed any agreements, and one, Bhaskar Tare, had died months before the MoU bearing his signature was submitted. Rathore made about ₹29 crore by passing debris off as silt in at least 67 instances.
Collusion and Tender Monopoly
The FIR also named businessmen Jay Joshi and Ketan Kadam, who allegedly colluded with Rathore and BMC officials to create a monopoly by favoring their company, Matprop Services, in tenders for supplying specialised machinery like silt pushers and pontoon machines. The scam, spanning 2013 to 2023, involved systematic fund siphoning meant for river cleaning.
Investigations found that contractors were coerced into renting non-existent or substandard machinery, while quantities of silt removal were inflated without scientific verification. BMC officials knowingly approved false bills without proper checks.
Legal Proceedings and Political Claims
Rathore was remanded in police custody until August 26 after being produced before a magistrate’s court. His lawyer claimed the FIR was politically motivated, targeting Rathore for supporting a rival party. Besides Rathore, several high-profile individuals, including actor Dino Morea and his brother Santino, were questioned over alleged links with arrested middlemen.
The Economic Offences Wing registered the FIR on May 6, 2025, following an in-depth inquiry into irregularities.
