Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police is facing serious roadblocks in its investigation into the ₹65 crore scam related to the Mithi River desilting project — and, shockingly, the disruption is allegedly coming from within the civic system itself. Sources said a senior BMC official is hindering the investigation instead of cooperating in action against corrupt officials.
Rather than assisting the probe, the senior official has allegedly attempted to shield BMC engineers accused in the scam under the guise of ongoing monsoon-related nullah cleaning operations.
In a letter to the EOW, the official reportedly demanded that the police avoid summoning BMC officials not specifically named in the FIR, and insisted that any such summons be shared with him in advance — a move perceived by investigators as both threatening and obstructive. The FPJ has got exclusive accessed this letter.
The EOW, which registered an FIR on May 6, 2025, against 13 individuals, including three BMC engineers, had written to the BMC on May 7 requesting tender records and contractor details related to desilting operations between 2020 and 2025.
These documents are crucial to determine how funds were allocated and whether the claimed desilting work was actually executed. Investigators suspect that BMC officials approved payments without verifying whether silt was deposited in designated areas.
While some arrests have already been made, the senior official's response, dated May 9, took investigators by surprise. In his letter addressed to the Joint Commissioner of Police (EOW), this official claimed that the BMC was cooperating as required and expressed concern that monsoon preparations were being hampered. He instructed the EOW not to summon any officials not named in the FIR, arguing that prolonged questioning was affecting ongoing civic duties.
Defending his stance, the senior official accused the EOW of seeking information beyond the scope of the SIT’s investigation — including data from additional years and unrelated stormwater drains. He questioned the rationale for repeatedly calling in the same officials, stating that unless others were formally accused, they should not be affect their work.
In a pointed tone, this official urged the EOW to withdraw all previous letters demanding further cooperation from the BMC, arguing that the FIRs had been filed with the BMC’s assistance and that further questioning of civic engineers was “unnecessary” and detrimental to essential pre-monsoon civic operations.
The standoff has stalled the investigation, with crucial documents still pending submission. Investigators fear that without full access to records and personnel, the truth behind the Mithi River scam may remain buried under layers of bureaucratic shielding. Civic sources declined to comment.
