Mithi River Desilting Scam: Mumbai Sessions Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To Contractor, Notes No Arrest Since FIR

Mumbai, July 17, 2026: The sessions court has granted anticipatory bail to a contractor booked in connection with the Mithi river desilting scam case, observing that the police had not arrested him even though the case was registered in May 2025.

City-based businessman Lokesh Jain had approached the sessions court, seeking anticipatory bail through advocates Poonam Ankleshwaria and Prathamesh Parkar, contesting the prosecution's allegations of forgery and cheating against him.

Prosecution's Allegations

The prosecution claimed that Jain, a partner of M/s Bhumika Transport, had secured a contract for desilting work for the period 2023 to 2024. He had allegedly caused wrongful loss by submitting forged documents to the BMC.

The prosecution alleged that Jain, being the contractor for desilting work on a portion of the river, along with co-accused, hatched a conspiracy and caused a wrongful loss of approximately Rs 65 crore to the BMC.

It was alleged that Jain's firm had hired two Silt Pushing Pontoon Machines (SPPM) and Multipurpose Amphibious Pontoon Machines (MAPM)/Truxor from M/s Woder India LLP, owned by co-accused Ketan Kadam, for Rs 1.91 crore. The machines were allegedly hired even though Kadam's company had not purchased them.

It was further alleged that Jain had prepared forged log sheets of silt transportation and photographs showing the transport of material, which were submitted to the BMC. Jain's company allegedly received Rs 24.49 crore from the BMC for the work carried out.

Defence's Arguments

The defence disputed the allegations, arguing that the contractor was permitted to hire two machines for the desilting work and that it was mandatory for contractors to submit memoranda of understanding (MoUs) from the manufacturer or supplier of the machines to ensure access and availability. They argued that, because of this condition, Jain was required to enter into a hire agreement with M/s Woder India LLP.

Further, the defence contended that weighbridge receipts and photographs of transporting desilted material were verified by the BMC team, which had observed 90 per cent completion of the work till May 31, 2024.

The team of five officers had visited the desilting sites from time to time, noted deficiencies, imposed penalties where required and recorded compliance with those deficiencies, the defence argued.

Court Grants Relief

The court, however, observed that “the alleged conspiracy was hatched in the year 2020. The applicant had obtained a contract of desilting work for the years 2023-2025. Thus, at the outset, there is no role of the applicant in the alleged conspiracy.”

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Further, the court noted that the case was registered in May 2025. “The applicant had visited the office of the IO on various occasions. During the said period, the Investigating Officer had not taken any pains to arrest the applicant,” the court said, adding that the documents submitted by Jain along with the tender and during the desilting work to the officers of the Storm Water Drains (SWD) department had already been seized by the Investigating Officer from the concerned SWD officials. In such circumstances, nothing remained to be seized from the applicant.

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