Summary of this article
ED arrested former collector of Gujarat's Surendranagar district in connection to money laundering case
IAS officer was arrested for his alleged link to bribery linked money laundering case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested IAS officer and former collector of Gujarat's Surendranagar district, Rajendrakumar Patel, in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering case, officials said on Friday.
Patel, a 2015-batch IAS officer who last served as the collector of Surendranagar, was transferred without posting a week ago following the arrest of a deputy mamlatdar (revenue officer) Chandrasingh Mori from the latter's office by the ED in a money laundering case stemming from bribery.
"The ED has arrested Patel in a connection with a bribery-linked money laundering case," confirmed a senior police official.
The central agency is investigating alleged money laundering involving Mori and others, following registration of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Later, based on a complaint by the ED, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered an FIR against Patel, his personal assistant Jayrajsinh Jhala, clerk Mayursinh Gohil, and deputy mamlatdar Chandrasinh Mori under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
On December 23, an ED team conducted searches and arrested Mori, posted at the Surendranagar district collector's office, after recovering Rs 67.5 lakh from his home for his alleged role in a bribery-linked money laundering case.
The ED claimed Mori admitted that the seized cash represents bribe money demanded and collected by him, directly and through intermediaries, from applicants seeking expedited or favourable processing of statutory land-use application.
In its investigation, the probe agency found large-scale corruption and generation of proceeds of crime through systematic extortion, demand, and collection of illegal gratification by public servants in the Surendranagar collector's office.
As deputy mamlatdar, Mori was entrusted with the title verification and processing of CLU (change of land use) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949.
Mori allegedly misused his position and collected bribes from applicants for speedy approval of applications. The bribe amount was calculated on a square metre basis, the ED had said.
