Overview
- IAS officer Rajendrakumar Patel was arrested in Gandhinagar late Thursday and taken to Surendranagar for investigation after being transferred without a posting last week.
- The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau registered an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act naming Patel, his personal assistant Jayrajsinh Jhala, clerk Mayursinh Gohil, and deputy mamlatdar Chandrasinh Mori.
- The Enforcement Directorate registered an ECIR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as part of a wider probe into alleged bribery at the Surendranagar collectorate.
- On December 23, the ED recovered Rs 67.5 lakh from Mori’s residence and arrested him, with the agency stating he admitted the cash was bribe money collected directly and through intermediaries.
- Officials say the alleged scheme involved bribes tied to CLU applications under the 1949 ordinance, calculated per square metre, and investigators allege proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 1 crore are being traced.