Former Surendranagar Collector Withdraws Bail Plea in ED Money Laundering Case
In a significant development in Ahmedabad, former Surendranagar district collector Rajendrakumar Patel withdrew his bail application from the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Monday. This move came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint in the case while the bail plea was pending.
Legal Proceedings and Withdrawal
Patel's legal representatives submitted to the court that since the ED had lodged a prosecution complaint during the pendency of the bail application, they needed time to thoroughly review the case documents. Consequently, they requested permission to withdraw the current bail plea, while reserving the right to file a fresh application in the future. Special judge K M Sojitra granted this request, allowing the withdrawal of the application.
Background of the Case
The ED arrested Patel in connection with an alleged bribery racket that was systematically operated within the collectorate to expedite the processing of applications for change of land use. During remand proceedings, the ED cited statements from co-accused individuals, shedding light on the distribution of bribe amounts among various officers.
Allegations and Accusations
According to the ED, arrested deputy mamlatdar and executive magistrate Chandrasinh Mori revealed a detailed breakdown of the bribe distribution:
- 50% was allegedly taken by the collector, Rajendrakumar Patel.
- 10% was claimed by Mori himself.
- The remaining 40% was distributed among other officers, including 25% to residential additional collector R K Oza, 10% to mamlatdar Mayur Dave, and 5% to clerk Maryusinh Gohil.
The ED further alleged that Patel's personal assistant collected the bribe amounts on his behalf and later handed them over to him. This case highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to combat corruption and money laundering in governmental processes.
