New Delhi: Administrative circles in Gujarat were jolted after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former Surendranagar district collector Rajendra Kumar Patel, a 2015-batch IAS officer, in a major money laundering case linked to bribery.
The arrest was made in connection with allegations of corruption and illegal financial transactions. Patel had reportedly been transferred without any posting about a week earlier.
The case traces back to the arrest of Surendranagar revenue officer Chandrasingh Mori by the ED. During searches at Mori’s residence, officials recovered ₹67.5 lakh in cash. During interrogation, Mori admitted that the money was collected as bribes and that the network extended directly to senior officers.
Following these revelations, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered an FIR against IAS officer Patel and members of his personal staff.
The ED’s investigation has revealed a systematic corruption racket in the Surendranagar collectorate, where bribes were allegedly taken on a per square metre basis to fast-track approvals for change of land use (CLU) applications.
Investigators said an organised system was in place to extort money from the public in return for official clearances.
