In a major development in the Rs65.54 crore Mithi river desilting scam, Mumbai’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) arrested Shershing Rathod on Wednesday for allegedly submitting forged documents and defrauding the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of nearly Rs29.62 crore.
Rathod was apprehended from Borivali in Mumbai’s western suburbs after his fraudulent role in the BMC’s desilting contract came to light. He is the third person arrested in this scam, following earlier arrests of middleman Ketan Kadam and Jai Joshi.
The EOW investigation revealed that Rathod submitted fake Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to BMC, including one with the forged signature of a deceased person, to show landowner consent for silt dumping. In another forged MoU, he collaborated with Kadam to lease heavy machinery from a company named Matprop.
Authorities say Rathod never removed sediment from the Mithi River as contracted but instead collected construction debris from other locations and claimed it was silt from the river. Despite this, he submitted falsified bills and received over Rs29 crore from the BMC fraudulently.
This alleged fraud stems from a broader case registered in May involving 13 accused, including contractors and BMC officials, linked to suspicious tenders issued between 2017 and 2023.
The police had also questioned Bollywood actor Dino Morea and his brother during the earlier stages of the probe.
Shershing Rathod will be produced before the court later today, and further investigation is ongoing.
