The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested Bollywood actor Dino Morea in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities surrounding the Mithi river cleaning initiative. The enforcement action occurred on October 2, 2026, following an intensive interrogation session at the actor's residence that spanned approximately eight hours. The probe centers on significant public funds assigned for urban desilting work that allegedly led to substantial financial leakage.
Allegations of Civic Loss Worth Rs 65.54 Crore
Investigators are examining contracts distributed for cleaning and clearing silt from the Mithi river corridor in Mumbai. Financial audit details and probe findings indicate that the alleged fraudulent practices inflicted a reported loss of Rs 65.54 crore on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The Economic Offences Wing is systematically reviewing the entire process of tender allotment, contractual execution, and subsequent fund disbursements that involved civic personnel, third-party contractors, and commercial intermediaries.
Scrutiny surrounding Morea had already intensified well before this arrest. In June of the previous year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted an extensive search operation lasting nearly 14 hours at the actor's Mumbai residence. Coordinated search actions were carried out simultaneously across 14 other locations in Mumbai and Kochi, covering properties tied to his brother, as well as several intermediary premises and contractor offices linked to the municipal work.
The Rs 18 Lakh Payment Trail and Worli Corporate Link
The core trigger for deeper investigative action emerged from an audit of monetary transactions, which identified a transfer of Rs 18 lakh to an entity named UBO Ridez. Official company filings show that the actor's brother, Santino Morea, serves as a director within this firm. Police officials identified Ketan Kadam, described as one of the primary figures implicated in the case, as the originator of this specific capital transfer.
Ketan Kadam, who was affiliated with Vodar India LLP, was earlier arrested in 2025 for his alleged involvement in the desilting contract discrepancies. Detectives discovered that both Vodar India LLP and the electric cart manufacturing entity UBO Ridez conducted operations from an identical commercial address situated near Famous Studios in Worli, Mumbai. This shared physical infrastructure and the direct monetary trail between the individuals prompted deeper forensic examination by law enforcement.
Career Trajectory Across Screen and Production
Dino Morea has maintained a recognizable profile in Bollywood over several decades, earning recognition for performances in feature films such as Raaz and Happy New Year. In recent periods, the actor curtailed on-screen appearances to concentrate on building ventures as an independent producer. His most notable recent outing in front of the camera came in 2021 with the digital historical drama series The Empire, marking a shift before this municipal contracting investigation began dominating public attention.
