Gujarat Government Shakes Up Administration Amid Bribery Scandal

The Gujarat government reallocated Surendranagar district collector Rajendrakumar Patel after a bribery investigation involving his office led to the arrest of junior official Chandrasinh Mori. The probe, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, revealed systematic corruption and illegal financial activities within the district administration.

The Gujarat government has undertaken a significant administrative shift following a major bribery scandal. Surendranagar district collector Rajendrakumar Patel was transferred without a new posting, a move precipitated by the arrest of Chandrasinh Mori, a junior official in his office, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering investigation.

The transfer order for Patel, issued by the General Administration Department, noted that his services would be placed at their disposal until further notice. Meanwhile, District Development Officer KS Yagnik has been assigned to manage additional responsibilities as Collector until new orders are provided. This decisive action came on the heels of discoveries made during ED raids, which uncovered a substantial Rs 67.50 lakh in bribe money at the residence of Mori.

Chandrasinh Mori's arrest and subsequent remand in ED custody until January 1 has highlighted widespread corruption within the Surendranagar collector's office. He confessed that the seized cash represented bribes collected for fast-tracking land-use applications. The ED's investigation, supported by an FIR from the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau, uncovered systemic illegal activities involving public officials extorting bribes in exchange for expedited application processing.

(With inputs from agencies.)