The Enforcement Directorate has taken 2015-batch IAS officer Rajendrakumar Patel, the former District Collector of Surendranagar in Gujarat, into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, marking a significant escalation in the investigation into a widespread bribery network tied to change of land use approvals that allegedly generated illicit proceeds exceeding Rs 10 crore.

Central to the allegations is a meticulously organized extortion racket wherein officials demanded and collected bribes calculated on a per-square-metre basis to expedite CLU applications processed under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance of 1949, with the scheme involving systematic routing of funds through key personnel in the collectorate, including the magisterial and geology departments.

The breakthrough occurred during a December 23 raid on the residence of Deputy Mamlatdar Chandrasinh Bhupatsinh Mori, where authorities recovered Rs 67.50 lakh in cash concealed within a bed, prompting Mori's immediate arrest and his subsequent statements under PMLA provisions that directly implicated senior officials in the distribution of bribe money.

Also Read: ED Conducts Raids on Bengaluru Firm Linked to WinZO, Freezes Rs 192 Crore

Mori's confession outlined a rigid percentage-based sharing mechanism, allocating 50 percent to Collector Patel, 25 percent to Resident Additional Collector RK Oja, 10 percent each to Mori himself and Mamlatdar Mayur Dave, and 5 percent to Clerk Mayursinh D Gohil, while Patel's personal assistant Jayrajsinh Jhala was responsible for maintaining detailed accounts and personally delivering the collector's portion.

Extensive corroborative evidence, including seized mobile devices revealing WhatsApp conversations, PDFs, photographs, and spreadsheets, alongside handwritten and printed records documenting 68 applicants with specifics on land areas, demanded and received bribes, broker roles, and precise divisions, has solidified the probe, leading to a parallel FIR by the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau against Patel and associates based on the ED's formal complaint.

Also Read: #BreakingNews: ED Raids 10 Locations Linked to Gangster Indrajeet Singh Yadav