Ahmedabad, Jan 2: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Rajendrakumar Patel, a 2015 batch IAS officer and former Surendranagar district collector, in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering case tied to an alleged ₹1,500 crore non-agricultural (NA) land conversion scam, officials said.
Patel was taken into custody after questioning at his Gandhinagar residence, marking a major development in the agency’s investigation into irregularities in land-use approvals in Surendranagar district.
“The ED has arrested Patel in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering probe,” a senior police official confirmed.
The case originated from the arrest of Deputy Mamlatdar Chandrasinh Mori, a revenue officer posted in the Surendranagar collectorate. Mori was entrusted with title verification and processing of change-of-land-use (CLU) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949.
Investigators allege that Mori misused his official position and collected bribes from applicants seeking faster approvals for NA land conversion. According to the ED, the bribe amounts were allegedly calculated on a per square metre basis, pointing to a systematic and large-scale operation.
The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against Patel and three others following a complaint filed by the ED. Those named include Mori, collectorate clerk Mayur Gohil, and Patel’s personal assistant Jayrajsinh Zala.
As part of the probe, the ED conducted search operations on December 23, 2025, at the residences of Patel and other district officials. During a raid at Mori’s residence, officials seized ₹67.50 lakh in cash, recovered from a bedroom under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In his statement recorded under the PMLA, Mori reportedly admitted that the seized cash represented bribe money collected directly or through intermediaries from applicants. Investigators also claim to have recovered documents detailing middlemen involved in the alleged racket, along with the amounts earmarked for them.
“The agency acted on credible, source-based intelligence pointing to widespread manipulation in land-related approvals,” ED Director Siddharth Jain said in the complaint, adding that coordinated search operations led to the arrests and further legal action.
Following the initial arrests, Patel was transferred from his post without a new posting, officials said. Further investigation in the case is ongoing.
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