Bribery Scandal in Gujarat: IAS Officer Arrested

IAS officer Rajendrakumar Patel has been arrested and suspended by the Gujarat government due to charges of bribery and money laundering. Allegedly, bribes were collected for expediting land use change applications. Investigations revealed over 800 such cases linked to Patel, generating crime proceeds exceeding Rs 10 crore.

In a significant crackdown, the Gujarat government has suspended IAS officer Rajendrakumar Patel following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over a bribery-linked money laundering case. Patel, a 2015-batch officer and former Surendranagar collector, was apprehended by the ED on January 2.

The arrest came in connection to a sophisticated bribery scheme where bribes were allegedly collected to expedite change of land use (CLU) applications, with amounts ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 10 per square metre. Investigations unveiled a network of intermediaries involved, with more than 800 CLU applications under scrutiny.

The ED has alleged that Patel not only fixed the bribe rates but was also the key beneficiary in the scheme, which generated proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 10 crore. Patel, exercising his influence as a district collector, controlled the decision-making process, impacting the pace of CLU approvals under various regulations.

(With inputs from agencies.)