The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested a 49-year-old contractor, Sher Singh Rathod, in a major ₹65 crore desilting fraud linked to the Mithi river. The scam caused huge losses to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and involved fabricating documents and submitting fake bills for payment. Rathod, who owns Maindeep Enterprises and resides in Borivali West, was awarded the Mithi river desilting contract for 2021-22. Instead of actually removing silt, he allegedly filled trucks with construction debris and uploaded misleading photos to BMC’s work monitoring software to claim payments.
False Documents and Fabricated Agreements
Investigations uncovered that Rathod passed off debris as river silt at least 67 times, enabling him to wrongfully claim nearly ₹29 crore. He also submitted three fake Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for land to dump the debris—two landowners denied signing any such document, while the third, Bhaskar Tare, had died months before his signature appeared on an MoU. The scam further involved Rathod signing dubious MoUs with businessmen Jay Joshi and Ketan Kadam, who were supposed to supply specialized silt-removal machinery. Both Joshi and Kadam are accused of manipulating tender conditions and colluding with BMC officials to create a monopoly for their firm, Matprop Services, which manufactures silt-pushers and amphibious machinery.
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Decade-Long Scam Uncovered
According to the EOW, the desilting fraud was not a one-off incident. The scam reportedly spanned from 2013 to 2023 and was a systematic effort by contractors and select officials to divert funds intended for cleaning the Mithi river—a key step to prevent flooding in Mumbai’s low-lying areas. Rathod was produced before the Esplanade Court and remanded to police custody until August 26. His lawyer claimed the charges were politically motivated, suggesting Rathod was being targeted for siding with a rival party.
Big Names Surface as Probe Deepens
The EOW formally registered a case on May 6, 2025, after an extensive inquiry. The probe has also led to the questioning of several high-profile figures, including actor Dino Morea and his brother Santino, due to alleged links with two middlemen already arrested in connection with the case. The arrest marks the latest development as authorities continue to unravel the network behind one of Mumbai’s most significant civic frauds
