One more contractor arrested in ₹65-crore Mithi river desilting fraud

The desilting scam, which took place between 2013 and 2023, has been described by the EOW as a systematic effort by contractors and officials to siphon off funds meant for cleaning the Mithi river—seen as essential to prevent flooding in low-lying areas of Mumbai

MUMBAI: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police on Thursday arrested a 49-year-old contractor in connection with the multi-crore Mithi river desilting fraud that has caused losses of over ₹65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Mumbai, India -August. 21, 2025 : Sher Singh Rathod , contractor who was arrested and produced in Esplanade court (Killa Court) by the Economic Offences Wing in connection with an alleged ₹65 crore Mithi river desilting scam after authorities say he fabricated Memoranda of Understanding with landowners, including a forged signature of a deceased person, and submitted bogus bills to secure and retain payment, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, August 21, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)

The accused, Shersingh Rathore, owner of Maindeep Enterprises and a resident of Borivali West, had been awarded the contract to remove silt from the Mithi river – one of Mumbai’s most crucial drainage channels – in 2021-22. Instead of removing silt, investigators said, Rathore allegedly filled trucks with construction debris and uploaded photographs on the BMC’s work monitoring software (WMS) to claim payments.

Preliminary checks by the EOW revealed that in at least 67 instances, debris was passed off as river silt, allowing the contractor to pocket around ₹29 crore. Rathore also allegedly submitted three fake Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for land to dump the debris. Investigators found that two landowners had never signed any agreements, while the third “landlord”, Bhaskar Tare, had died in January 2021—three months before an MoU supposedly bearing his signature was submitted.

According to the police, Rathore also signed MoUs with businessmen Jay Joshi, 49, and Ketan Kadam, 50, who allegedly promised to supply specialised silt-removal machinery. The FIR alleges that Kadam and Joshi colluded with BMC officials to create a monopoly by inserting conditions in tenders that favoured their firm, Matprop Services, which manufactured silt pushers and amphibious pontoon machines.

The desilting scam, which took place between 2013 and 2023, has been described by the EOW as a systematic effort by contractors and officials to siphon off funds meant for cleaning the Mithi river—seen as essential to prevent flooding in low-lying areas of Mumbai.

Rathore was produced before a metropolitan magistrate’s court and remanded in police custody till August 26. His lawyer, Sandeep Maurya, told the court that the FIR was “politically motivated” and claimed his client was being targeted for supporting a rival party.

The EOW registered the FIR on May 6, 2025, following a detailed inquiry into the irregularities. The scam has also seen the questioning of several high-profile individuals, including actor Dino Morea and his brother Santino, for their alleged links with two middlemen arrested in the case.