Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Gujarat IAS officer Rajendrakumar Patel in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering case, marking a major development in an ongoing corruption probe involving revenue officials in the state.
Patel, a 2015-batch Indian Administrative Service officer and former collector of Surendranagar district, was taken into custody following an ED investigation into alleged illicit financial transactions. A senior official confirmed the arrest, stating that the case is linked to suspected bribery and subsequent laundering of funds.
The arrest comes barely a week after Patel was transferred without a new posting, shortly after the ED arrested a deputy mamlatdar from his office. The revenue officer, Chandrasingh Mori, was earlier detained in a money laundering case that originated from allegations of bribery.
According to officials, the ED is probing suspected money laundering activities involving Mori and others after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The investigation focuses on alleged illegal collections made in exchange for favourable official decisions.
Parallel to the ED action, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has also registered a first information report (FIR) against Patel and three other individuals. The FIR was filed based on a complaint submitted by the ED as part of the same investigation.
As deputy mamlatdar, Mori was responsible for verifying land titles and processing applications related to change of land use (CLU) under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949. Investigators allege that he abused his official position by demanding bribes from applicants seeking faster clearance of their CLU requests.
The ED has earlier stated that the bribe amounts were allegedly fixed on a per square metre basis, depending on the size of the land involved. Authorities are now examining whether the proceeds of these illegal transactions were laundered through multiple channels and whether senior officials were complicit.
The investigation is ongoing, and officials said further action may follow as financial trails are examined in detail.
