ED arrests Gujarat IAS officer in bribery-related money laundering case

IAS officer and former collector of Gujarat’s Surendranagar district Rajendrakumar Patel has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a bribery-related money laundering case, officials said on Friday.

“The ED has arrested Patel in connection with a bribery-related money laundering investigation,” a senior police officer confirmed.

Patel, a 2015 batch IAS officer who last served as Surendranagar collector, was transferred without any posting a week ago after the ED arrested a ‘deputy mamlatdar’ (revenue officer) from his office in a money laundering case linked to bribery.

The central agency is probing alleged money laundering involving Deputy Mamlatdar, Chandrasingh Mori and others, following registration of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau has also registered an FIR against Patel and three others on the complaint of ED in connection with the money laundering probe.

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As deputy mamlatdar, Mori was entrusted with the job of title verification and processing of CLU (change in land use) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Land Ordinance, 1949.

Mori allegedly abused his position and collected bribes from applicants to expedite approval of applications. The ED had earlier said that the bribe amount was calculated on the basis of square metre.

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