New Delhi, May 6 (NationPress) In a significant development regarding the ₹65 crore Mithi River desilting scam, the Mumbai Police have filed an FIR and executed searches at eight different locations, targeting suspects that include both contractors and civic officials.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW), Sangramsingh Nishandar, confirmed that the FIR was lodged at the Azad Maidan Police Station after initial investigations suggested a clear case of culpability.

Accusations against officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and contractors include fraudulent billing and the unauthorized release of funds without any actual desilting work being carried out in the river. This malpractice is cited as a major factor contributing to rainwater not being adequately channeled into the river, leading to flooding in adjacent areas.

Nishandar stated that the FIR was filed due to the submission of fake invoices and fraudulent MoUs linked to the alleged desilting operations.

The FIR encompasses violations related to cheating, breach of trust, forgery, and conspiracy. If found guilty, the defendants could face a prison sentence of up to seven years.

The FIR addresses offenses that occurred during the contract formation for desilting, the transportation of desilted materials, and the monitoring of contractors’ adherence to their contractual obligations.

Investigation revealed the use of counterfeit bills concerning nine designated dumping sites for the desilted materials. Discrepancies were also noted in the MoUs signed between landowners and BMC officials.

Some landowners informed the police that they had never entered into agreements with the contractors involved in the desilting, yet fake MoUs bearing their names were submitted to the BMC. “In certain instances, the owners of the lands listed in documents do not exist. This raises doubts about whether the silt was ever removed from the river,” he added.

Companies under investigation by the EOW include Acute Design, Kailash Construction, N.A. Construction, Nikhil Construction, and J.R.S Infrastructure, all accused of presenting false MoUs.

Additionally, the FIR mentions a field visit by a company named Matprop in February 2020 at the Mithi River, where officials allegedly colluded with BMC representatives to manipulate the contract terms for illicit benefits.

The civic officials named in the FIR include Prashant Ramugade, Assistant Engineer and Designated Officer in the Rainwater Drainage Department, and Deputy Chief Engineers Ganesh Bendre and others.

Private individuals and contractors cited in the FIR include Jay Joshi of Virgo Specialities Pvt Ltd, Ketan Kadam of Vodar India LLP, and others.

The FIR outlines the involvement of five contractors, three middlemen, two company officials, and three BMC staff members, accusing them of inflicting financial losses on the civic body.

The formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was prompted after BJP leaders Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lad raised queries on this matter during the state Assembly’s monsoon session.

This desilting initiative is part of a broader ₹1,100 crore beautification project for the Mithi River.

In the previous month, the EOW interrogated ten contractors and reviewed BMC CCTV footage to ascertain whether any evidence existed of silt being extracted or weighed prior to disposal, as mandated by the contracts.