ED Arrests IAS Officer in Bribery-Related Money Laundering Case

Arrest of IAS Officer in Gujarat

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Rajendrakumar Patel, a 2015 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and former district collector of Surendranagar in Gujarat, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to bribery. This information was confirmed by a senior police official on Friday.

According to the officer, "The ED has taken Patel into custody as part of the inquiry into the money laundering case associated with bribery." Patel was transferred a week ago without a new posting after the ED arrested a deputy collector working in his office for involvement in the bribery-related money laundering case.

The ED is investigating the alleged money laundering case against deputy collector Chandra Singh Mori and others after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Additionally, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Patel and three others based on a complaint from the ED regarding the money laundering investigation. As a deputy collector, Mori was responsible for processing applications related to ownership verification and land use changes under the Saurashtra Tenancy Act and the Agricultural Land Ordinance of 1949.

Mori is accused of misusing his position by accepting bribes from applicants in exchange for expedited approvals of their applications. The ED previously stated that the bribe amounts were determined based on a per square meter basis.