ED arrests Gujarat IAS officer & ex-collector in alleged bribery case

Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested IAS officer Rajendra Mahendrabhai Patel, who was recently transferred from his position as district collector of Surendranagar, in connection with an alleged bribery network.

Patel was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering court in Ahmedabad, which remanded him to ED custody until January 7.

40 years old Patel is an IAS officer of 2015 batch. Earlier on December 23, ED had arrested his junior deputy collector Chandrasinh Bhupatsinh Mori.

Seeking 10 days custody of Patel, ED said in its remand application that Mori allegedly told the agency in his statement that "50% of the share of bribe collected went to the district magistrate (Patel) ... He has further stated that the "hisab" for the same was kept by PA of district collector, Jayrajsinh Zala (another co accused).

According to ED, the bribery was largely in connection with "grant and processing of applications for CLU (change of land use) and related statutory permissions..." The bribe rates, ED has claimed, ranged from Rs5-10 per square metre based on the nature of application and the sections applicable under law.

ED said that it has traced more than 800 such applications resulting in "generation of proceeds of crimes to the tune of more than Rs10 crores which is part of the larger proceeds of crime."

ED has claimed that Patel has "acknowledged regarding the properties generated out of the proceeds of crime, which are yet to be identified. His arrest was thus considered necessary to unearth the same and further to ascertain the exact role of other persons...."

Quoting one Chetan Kanzarai, ED has said that he himself paid Rs65 lakh in bribe money for obtaining approval for change of land use application. There are many similar complaints against the district collector's office.

"Bribes were systematically demanded and collected as "speed money" for processing applications without delay. The bribe amount was pre-fixed, calculated on a per-square-metre basis depending on the nature of application," ED stated in the remand plea.

Mori, according to ED, has allegedly stated in his statement that "out of the bribe collected, 50% share was taken by District Collector Dr Rajendra Patel, 10% by Mamlatdar Mayur B Dave and 5% by clerk Mayursinh D Gohil. The share of Collector, its subsequent concealment and layering is yet to be ascertained which demands his custodial interrogation," ED stated while seeking Patel's custody.

Before arresting Patel, a team of ED had raised his residence on December 23 and found expensive mobile phones, "the source of which he couldn't explain." According to ED, a flat J/102, Shukan Platinum, New SG Road, opposite Vandemataram City, Chandlodiya, Ahmedabad was purchased in Patel's for which he has been receiving rental income in the bank account of his mother Jasumati M Patel.

"It is further gathered that he has not paid any school fees for his son and daughter who were studying in the School of Excellence, Surendranagar. It prima facie indicates that he has been carrying out the transactions out of the bribe money generated in cash," ED has alleged.