The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has presented a detailed case before a special court in Ahmedabad, alleging that a former district collector in Gujarat operated a systematic bribery scheme for approving land use change applications. The agency claims the accused, 2015-batch IAS officer Rajendrakumar Mahendra Patel, exploited the state government's online portal to fix rates for illegal gratification.
The Modus Operandi: Bribes Fixed Per Square Metre
According to the remand application submitted on Friday, the investigation revealed a calculated method. Patel, who served as the District Collector of Surendranagar until his transfer, would allegedly download applications filed on the Integrated Online Revenue Applications (IORA) portal. This portal is used by the Gujarat Revenue Department for requests related to changing agricultural land to non-agricultural use.
The ED told the court that after downloading these applications, columns were added to the files where bribe rates were fixed. The rates ranged from Rs 5 to Rs 10 per square metre, depending on the nature of the application and the legal sections involved. The former collector, as the final approving authority, was the central figure in this scheme, with bribes collected in cash.
Scale of the Alleged Crime and Evidence
The federal agency stated it has traced more than 800 such applications, which allegedly led to the generation of proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 10 crore. This amount is believed to be part of a larger sum involved in the case.
One piece of evidence cited is the statement of an individual who reportedly paid Rs 65 lakh in bribes for multiple applications at the rate of Rs 10 per square metre. This person's diary entries allegedly describe the payments as "Collector Office Bribe Expense."
The ED explicitly told the court, "Rajendrakumar Mahendra Patel himself demanded and accepted huge amounts of bribe in lieu of providing speedy approvals... He is the biggest beneficiary of the proceeds of crime as per evidence on record."
Assets and Incriminating Finds
During searches at Patel's residence on December 23, the ED claims to have found expensive mobile phones whose source the officer could not explain. The investigation also uncovered that an apartment was purchased in Patel's name, and rental income from it was being deposited into his mother's bank account.
Furthermore, the agency alleges that Patel had not been paying school fees for his two children through regular banking channels. The ED suspects these transactions were handled in cash, likely sourced from the bribe money.
The Network and Other Accused
The case also involves deputy mamlatdar and Executive Magistrate Chandrasinh Bhupatsinh Mori and two other staff members from the collector's office. The ED alleges that bribes were systematically demanded and collected as "speed money" to process applications without delay.
Mori, who was responsible for title verification and processing applications, allegedly used intermediaries or commission agents to collect the pre-fixed bribes. The ED seized Rs 67.50 lakh in cash concealed in a bedroom at Mori's residence. In his statement, Mori reportedly admitted the cash was bribe money and named Patel as the beneficiary of half the collected bribes.
Mori also told investigators that the accounts for these transactions were maintained by the personal assistant of the District Collector, who would collect Patel's share and hand it over.
Legal Proceedings and Defence
Following his arrest on January 2 from his Surendranagar home, Patel was produced before the Special PMLA court in Ahmedabad (Rural). The court remanded him in ED custody until January 7. This development came a day after Mori was sent to judicial custody following the end of his seven-day remand.
The case originated from a zero FIR registered on December 23, 2025, under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the ACB police station in Ahmedabad. Since the offences also fall under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on the same day and began its probe.
The state government transferred Patel out of Surendranagar on December 24, 2025, placing his services at the disposal of the General Administration Department. He had been posted in Surendranagar since February 1, 2025.
Patel's defence team has challenged the arrest, calling it "illegal" and arguing that there is no unbroken money trail leading to him. Advocate Sameer B Gogda contended that there was no material on record to form a belief that Patel is guilty of money laundering or involved in any predicate offence.
The ED informed the court that the investigation is ongoing, with aspects like the layering and integration of the proceeds of crime, identification of properties bought with these funds, and the roles of other individuals yet to be fully uncovered.
