# Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing Takes Actor Dino Morea Into Custody Over Mithi River Desilting Probe

> The Economic Offences Wing has arrested actor Dino Morea in connection with an alleged desilting scam in Mumbai's Mithi river project involving financial irregularities and an alleged loss of Rs 65.54 crore to the civic body.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Entertainment · **Published:** 2026-10-02 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/entertainment/munbai-pulisa-ki-arthika-aparadha-shakha-ne-ektara-dino-morea-ko-mithi-river-saphai-ghotale-men-kiya-aresta-41925 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Dino Morea, Mithi River Scam, Economic Offences Wing, Mumbai Police, BMC, Santino Morea, Ketan Kadam

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.

## What this means for you
This investigation highlights the severe operational and financial accountability gaps in municipal civic maintenance projects.

- **Flood Mitigation Risks:** Desilting delays and mismanagement directly degrade Mumbai's drainage capacity during heavy monsoon seasons. Inadequate clearance of river silt leaves suburban neighborhoods vulnerable to recurring urban flooding and transit disruption.
- **Accountability for Public Expenditure:** The alleged municipal loss of Rs 65.54 crore puts renewed scrutiny on how municipal bodies disburse project funds. Stronger oversight mechanisms may be implemented across future municipal engineering contracts to prevent fund diversion.
- **Screening of Corporate Entities:** Co-located shell operations and shared registered addresses will face tighter regulatory verification. Civic authorities are likely to mandate exhaustive compliance audits for all partner vendors before releasing contract payments.
- **Commercial Exposure for Celebrities:** Businesses connected to public figures and entertainment professionals face heightened reputational and legal diligence. Direct fund transfers involving third-party intermediaries will undergo stricter anti-money laundering assessments.

## Why this happened
The enforcement action stemmed from documented money trails and linked corporate structures uncovered during the civic contract inquiry.

- **Documented Fund Transfers:** Forensic auditors traced an unverified transfer of Rs 18 lakh from prime accused Ketan Kadam to a company directed by Santino Morea. Failure to provide legitimate contractual justification for this capital movement led investigators to press charges.
- **Common Business Address:** Both the implicated entity Vodar India LLP and electric cart maker UBO Ridez shared an identical registered office near Worli's Famous Studios. This geographic and administrative proximity provided strong circumstantial evidence of coordinated financial dealings.
- **Cumulative Findings Across Multiple Agencies:** Extensive searches by the Enforcement Directorate across 14 locations alongside prior arrests yielded key operational records. Following an intensive eight-hour questioning round on October 2, 2026, the Economic Offences Wing formally placed the actor under custody.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Why was Dino Morea arrested by the police?
He was arrested in connection with alleged financial irregularities and a Rs 65.54 crore civic loss in the Mithi river desilting project.

### 2. Which agency carried out the arrest and on what date?
The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police arrested him on October 2, 2026, after an eight-hour questioning session.

### 3. What is the significance of the Rs 18 lakh transaction?
The sum was transferred by prime accused Ketan Kadam to UBO Ridez, a firm where Dino Morea's brother Santino Morea serves as a director.

### 4. What structural connection between the companies was uncovered by investigators?
Authorities established that Vodar India LLP and UBO Ridez both operated from an identical address near Famous Studios in Worli, Mumbai.

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