Mumbai: 2 More Contractors Arrested in Rs 65-Crore Mithi River Desilting Scam

Mumbai’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday arrested two more contractors in connection with the ₹65-crore Mithi River desilting scam. The accused have been identified as Sunil Upadhyay, director of M/s N B Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., and Mahesh Medaram Purohit, partner of M/s M B Brothers. Both were produced before the court, which remanded them in police custody till 16 December.

According to the EOW, the investigation has revealed that both contractors submitted forged MoUs and fabricated documents related to the desilting and dumping of silt from the Mithi River, causing massive financial loss to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

During the probe, officers found that between 2014 and 2020, accused Mahesh Purohit obtained ₹23.43 crore from the BMC by attaching fake MoUs for various desilting contracts. The eight dumping ground owners, on whose land Purohit claimed to have deposited the silt, told police that they had never signed any agreements. Their signatures were also found to be forged. Officials said Purohit allegedly created fake log sheets and collected funds from the BMC without actually dumping the silt.

The second accused, Sunil Upadhyay, is alleged to have carried out a similar fraud between 2013 and 2018. Investigators found that his company submitted forged MoUs for six dumping sites. The landowners of all six locations confirmed that they never gave any permissions and that the documents were fabricated. Using these forged papers, Upadhyay reportedly managed to claim ₹27.79 crore from the BMC.

With the arrest of both contractors, the EOW is now focusing on gathering crucial evidence to uncover who prepared the forged MoUs and documents, where the siphoned-off money was routed, who benefited from the scam, and which officials or other individuals were involved. Investigators are also trying to trace the original records and digital evidence that were allegedly concealed.

Officials said that more major revelations are likely in the coming days as the interrogation progresses.