Desilting scam accused funded BMC officials' foreign tour: EOW

Prashant Ramugade, the deputy chief engineer of Mithi River Development Project, had visited Dubai and Singapore in 2020-21 using funds provided by Ketan Kadam, who was arrested last week in connection with the alleged ₹65-crore Mithi river desilting scam, the Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) said on Tuesday.

- Vinay Dalvi

MUMBAI:

Kadam and Jayesh Joshi, who allegedly acted as intermediaries in renting out desilting machines to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at inflated rates, knew Ramugade prior to submitting bids for the desilting work, the EOW told the Esplanade court.

Kadam even hosted the civic official and his family in Delhi and bought the tickets for their foreign trips, the EOW said.

The EOW had, on May 6, booked 13 people, including three civic officials, for allegedly causing the BMC a loss of ₹65.54 crore in connection with the Mithi River desilting project.