CBI raids Gujarat cadre IAS officer, arrests his middleman from Surat

Hours after raiding a Gujarat cadre IAS officer, K Rajesh, for his alleged involvement in corruption cases, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested a cloth merchant from Surat, who is reported to have worked as a "middleman" for the officer. The case was registered following the Gujarat government's complaint to CBI.

CBI officials said that the investigation was launched last night at three places including the official residence of the IAS officer in Gandhinagar, the residence of the middleman identified as Md Rafiq Menon in Surat and the officer's home in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. Menon runs "Jeans Corner" in Surat. The IAS officer, K Rajesh, is currently posted as Joint Secretary, General Administrative Department, in Gandhinagar. In a statement later in the day, CBI said that raids have "led to the recovery of several incriminating documentary and digital evidence."

"We have arrested Rafiq Menon from Surat who worked as the middleman for Rajesh. The FIR has been registered in Delhi on charges of corruption while allotting lands and gun licences to beneficiaries who were not eligible," CBI sources said. Sources said that during his tenure as Surendranagar district collector at least three to four cases had surfaced involving land deals and firearm licences.

"The case registered "against the then collector (an IAS officer -2011 batch), Surendranagar district (Gujarat) & others including the proprietor of Surat-based private firm and unknown persons & entities on the allegations of demand & receipt of illegal gratification/bribe related to grant of arms licences, allotment of Government land and regularization of encroached Government land in the name of ineligible beneficiaries. A Preliminary enquiry was earlier registered on a request of the Gujarat Government in the matter. The instant case is the outcome of the PE," a CBI statement read.