<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday confirmed that it has registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Surendranagar District Collector Dr Rajendrakumar Patel and three other officials.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The action follows extensive searches and arrests by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering and bribery racket in the district.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Addressing a press conference, ACB Deputy Inspector General Makrand Chauhan said the case was lodged after a senior ED officer submitted a formal complaint based on evidence recovered during searches.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">&ldquo;The ACB police station in Surendranagar has registered offences under Sections 7, 12 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Dr Patel, his personal assistant Jayrajsinh Jhala, clerk Mayursinh Gohil and Deputy Mamlatdar Chandrasinh Mori,&rdquo; Chauhan said.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The development follows the recovery of a large amount of unaccounted cash from Mori&rsquo;s residence during ED search operations. Chauhan stated that the material collected during the searches and subsequent inquiry formed the basis for initiating the corruption case.</span></div>
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<div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">ED Arrest and Money Laundering Allegations</span></strong></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">On Tuesday, the ED arrested Deputy Mamlatdar Mori, alleging that he operated a structured extortion network to collect bribes in exchange for expediting Change of Land Use (CLU) applications in Surendranagar district.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ED claimed the bribes were collected either directly or through intermediaries, including commission agents and brokers.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mori was produced before a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The court granted the ED custody of the accused until January 1, allowing the agency to continue its interrogation.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ED had sought a 14-day remand, citing the need to trace the proceeds of crime and identify the wider network involved.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">During searches conducted at Mori&rsquo;s residence, the ED recovered Rs 67.50 lakh in cash, reportedly from his bedroom. Under PMLA provisions, Mori allegedly admitted that the seized money represented bribes taken to facilitate land-use approvals.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The agency further stated that its investigation revealed the generation, possession and concealment of proceeds of crime exceeding Rs one crore.</span></div>
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<div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Searches, Transfers and Administrative Action</span></strong></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ED searches extended beyond Mori&rsquo;s residence to the homes and offices of several officials across the district. Search operations were also carried out at the residence of Jayrajsinh Jhala in Lakhtar, as well as at official premises, where documents and records related to land-use applications were examined.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Following the registration of the ACB case, the state government removed Dr Rajendrakumar Patel from the post of Surendranagar Collector. Patel is a 2015-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Until further orders, District Development Officer K.S. Yagnik has been assigned the additional charge of Collector of Surendranagar district.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Investigators have indicated that the seized documents include detailed records allegedly maintained to track bribe collections linked to specific land parcels and survey numbers.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Authorities have said the inquiry remains at a preliminary stage and further findings are expected as both the ED and ACB continue their investigations into the alleged corruption network.</span></div>

Former Surendranagar District Collector Dr Rajendrakumar Patel

Searches, arrest and cash recovery lead to corruption case in Surendranagar

Gujarat Ex-Collector Booked After ED Bribe Probe

Searches, arrest and cash recovery lead to corruption case in Surendranagar

December 25, 2025 | 20:05 IST