Mumbai: Bollywood actor Dino Morea was questioned again by the Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Friday in connection with the alleged Rs 65.54-crore Mithi River desilting scam. Morea was summoned after investigators examined phone records and financial links involving people connected to the case.
Morea and his brother, Santino Rocco Morea, had previously been questioned by the EOW in May 2025. The latest questioning is part of the continuing investigation into alleged irregularities in contracts awarded for desilting and rejuvenation work on the Mithi River.
Reports later emerged claiming that Morea had been arrested after several hours of questioning. However, Morea denied those reports to Mid-Day, saying they were “not true”, while the publication said there was no independent confirmation from EOW officials at the time of its report. Other reports, citing Mid-Day, subsequently reported his arrest. The conflicting reports mean his status should be treated cautiously pending official confirmation.
Importantly, being questioned in an investigation does not by itself establish wrongdoing by Morea.
Why was Dino Morea summoned again?
According to a police officer quoted by Hindustan Times, investigators summoned Morea after examining phone records that allegedly showed contact between the actor and people linked to the case.
Investigators are also examining business and financial connections involving Morea’s brother Santino.
Police have said that Santino Rocco Morea and Punita Kadam, the wife of arrested accused Ketan Kadam, were directors in UBO Ridez Private Limited. Investigators are checking financial transactions between the Kadams and Santino as part of the broader probe.
The EOW is also examining how Ketan Kadam’s desilting company, Woder India LLP, obtained contracts from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Morea himself has not been publicly accused of carrying out the alleged financial irregularities merely because he has been questioned.
What is the Mithi River desilting case?
The case relates to alleged irregularities in contracts for desilting the Mithi River during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 periods.
The EOW has alleged that contractors, intermediaries and some BMC officials were involved in practices that caused an estimated wrongful loss of Rs 65.54 crore to the civic body.
The investigation covers allegations involving tender conditions, specialised desilting machinery, payments and documentation submitted by contractors. The EOW has also examined whether the quantity of silt removed from the river was overstated in official records.
The Mithi River is an important stormwater channel for Mumbai, and desilting work has been undertaken over the years to improve its capacity to carry water during the monsoon.
How did the machinery issue emerge?
According to the EOW investigation, some BMC officials travelled to Kochi in October 2020 to purchase desilting equipment from Matprop Technical Services Private Limited.
The civic body subsequently floated tenders for desilting work with specifications that investigators say matched the equipment supplied by Matprop.
According to the police allegation, the specifications effectively restricted contractors to using particular machinery for the work.
The tender terms provided for contractors to be paid according to the weight of silt and dredged material removed from the river.
Investigators allege that contractors who approached Matprop for machinery were directed towards Jayesh Joshi and Ketan Kadam instead. Police have alleged that the equipment was rented to contractors at inflated rates rather than being sold to them.
What are investigators probing about the silt?
The EOW is also examining whether records relating to the quantity of silt removed from the river were manipulated.
According to the allegations under investigation, inflated quantities in civic records could have resulted in contractors receiving higher payments.
The investigation has previously looked at alleged fake documents, including memoranda of understanding and records related to dumping sites, weighbridges and transportation of silt.
The EOW had also alleged that contractors submitted documents that did not accurately reflect the work carried out.
An earlier Indian Express report on the case said investigators had found nine allegedly fake memoranda of understanding connected with the desilting contracts.
Ketan Kadam and Jayesh Joshi among accused
Ketan Kadam and Jayesh Joshi are among the individuals arrested in the investigation.
Kadam has been linked to Woder India LLP, while Joshi is associated with Virgo Specialties Private Limited.
The EOW has been examining the alleged role of intermediaries in arranging machinery and contracts for the desilting work.
Investigators have also examined financial transactions involving people connected to the companies under scrutiny.
In an earlier phase of the investigation, police examined transactions between Morea and Kadam. The Indian Express reported in 2025 that the EOW was investigating several transactions worth around Rs 14 lakh to Rs 18 lakh between Morea and Kadam.
These transactions have been part of the investigation, but their existence alone does not establish that Morea participated in the alleged scam.
Morea was questioned previously
The actor’s latest appearance before the EOW is not his first involvement in the investigation.
In May 2025, Morea and his brother Santino appeared before the EOW after receiving summons. They reportedly provided their personal bank account records as well as records relating to UBO Ridez.
At that stage, investigators were already examining possible financial links between UBO Ridez and Woder India LLP.
The latest questioning indicates that investigators are continuing to examine those links alongside information obtained from phone records and other material gathered during the probe.
ED also examined the case
The Mithi River investigation has also attracted the attention of the Enforcement Directorate.
The central agency opened a money-laundering investigation based on the EOW’s predicate case and previously conducted searches at multiple locations in Mumbai and Kochi, including Morea’s residence.
The ED has been examining the alleged movement of money and assets connected to individuals named in the underlying EOW investigation.
Morea was also questioned by the ED in June 2025 along with his brother, according to the Indian Express.
Conflicting reports over Morea’s arrest
The latest development has also produced conflicting reports about Morea’s status.
Mid-Day initially reported that Morea had been arrested after nearly eight hours of questioning at his Bandra residence. Later, however, the publication reported that Morea himself denied the arrest, responding “Not true” when asked about the reports. It also said there was no independent confirmation from EOW officials at that point.
Other media outlets, including Hindustan Times and Times of India, subsequently reported that Morea had been arrested, citing the earlier Mid-Day report.
Given the conflicting accounts, the clearest confirmed development is that Morea was questioned by the EOW as part of its ongoing investigation. His exact legal status should be based on an official confirmation from the investigating agency or subsequent court proceedings.
Investigation continues
The EOW investigation is examining alleged financial irregularities in one of Mumbai’s major river-desilting programmes, including tender specifications, machinery arrangements, contractor payments and the accuracy of records showing the quantity of silt removed.
Morea’s latest questioning is focused on information and connections investigators are seeking to verify. The actor has not been convicted of any offence in the case.
As the probe continues, investigators are expected to examine financial records, communications and business relationships involving the accused and other people who may have information relevant to the alleged irregularities.
The Rs 65.54-crore figure represents the alleged loss to the BMC cited by investigators; it is not a judicial finding of liability against every person questioned in the case.