Mithi scam: Lens on top officials & netas, says min | Mumbai News
Mumbai: The roles of higher authorities, including commissioner-level officials and standing committee chairman and members, are being probed by the special investigation team (SIT) in the Rs 65-crore Mithi river desilting scam case, said minister Uday Samant in the legislative council on Thursday.Samant said there was suspected involvement of a few who may have held the “remote control”, adding that nobody will be spared, irrespective of their political affiliations.“Who is behind [key accused] Ketan Kadam should be probed… Whoever is involved from abroad, their properties should be sealed. The probe needs to be in-depth,” demanded MLC Prasad Lad.MLC Pravin Darekar said instead of just catching contractors and civic officials, the SIT should also probe the role of officials of the rank of additional commissioner. There could be involvement of somebody at the top who approves proposals, he said.MLC Bhai Jagtap and Lad sought that since this was an organised crime, stringent sections of MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) be invoked in the case. Samant said he will propose action under stringent sections but leave it to CM Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the home portfolio, to take a call on this demand.Samant said Kadam reportedly had stakes in a nightclub and a hotel chain. “It is being ascertained if the scam money was diverted to the hotel business.”The minister said the police team is probing how the scam unfolded over the last four years and a detailed investigation is yet to be carried out into desilting works undertaken from 2006-21. Large-scale cleanup of Mithi began after the July 2005 deluge that claimed over 1,000 lives.“Since 2005, around Rs 2,000 crore has been spent on the river’s maintenance, including silt removal and other tasks,” said MLC Rajhans Singh in his calling attention motion. Despite this expenditure, the river’s water flow and channel remain obstructed, revealing significant financial corruption involving municipal officials and contractors, he said.
