Mumbai Police EOW Arrests Contractor in Rs 65.5 Crore Mithi River Desilting Scam
Mumbai, 22nd August 2025: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police has arrested a city-based contractor in connection with the alleged Rs 65.5 crore Mithi river desilting scam. Officials said the accused, identified as Shersingh Rathor (49), a resident of Borivli, was taken into custody on Thursday for submitting forged documents and siphoning off more than Rs 29 crore. He was produced before the Esplanade Court and remanded to police custody till August 26.
According to investigators, Rathor allegedly fabricated three rent agreements to show that silt removed from the river was dumped on private land parcels. However, probe revealed glaring discrepancies. One such agreement, dated April 2021, was signed in the name of a landowner who had passed away in January that year. “Other individuals, whose names were used, categorically denied knowing Rathor or having signed any such deals. They told us they never gave consent for dumping silt on their property,” said an EOW officer.
The arrest is the third in the high-profile case. Earlier, police had arrested Ketan Kadam (50), associated with Ketan Vodar India LLP, and Jay Joshi (49), a director of Virgo Specialties Pvt Ltd. The duo has been accused of acting as middlemen to secure the desilting tender on behalf of Rathor.
On August 1, the EOW filed a detailed charge sheet running over 7,000 pages against them.
Investigators allege Kadam and Joshi colluded with civic officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to manipulate the tendering process. Their alleged conspiracy ensured Rathor’s firm bagged the contract for river desilting work during 2021–22, valued at Rs 29.6 crore.
A senior officer explained that one of the mandatory requirements for winning the tender was the availability of a silt pusher machine. Rathor, however, allegedly produced a bogus agreement claiming he had rented such equipment from Kadam. “Our inquiry confirmed Kadam did not own or possess any such machine. The document was entirely fabricated to fulfill the tender conditions,” the officer added.
The EOW is continuing its investigation into the role of other officials and contractors linked to the scam, which is pegged at Rs 65.5 crore.
