In a significant development in the Surendranagar corruption scandal, 2015-batch IAS officer Rajendrakumar Mahendra Patel has been sent to judicial custody. The former district collector was produced before the Special PMLA court in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, following the completion of his five-day remand with the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
From ED Custody to Sabarmati Jail
The Headquarters Investigation Unit (HIU-II) of the ED presented Patel before the court after his remand period ended. His defence lawyer, CJ Gogda, confirmed that the federal agency did not seek an extension of his custody. Consequently, the court ordered his transfer to judicial custody at the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad.
Patel's arrest by the ED on January 2, 2025, had followed his booking in two separate cases. Due to his remand order exceeding 48 hours, he was deemed "under suspension" from his post in the General Administration Department (GAD), where he had been transferred prior to the arrest.
Twin Cases and the Formation of an SIT
The legal troubles for the bureaucrat began on December 23, 2025, when two cases were registered against him. The first was filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) police station in Surendranagar under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations centre on Patel and other employees allegedly soliciting bribes for processing "Change in Land Use" applications.
On the same day, the Enforcement Directorate filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), leading to his eventual arrest. In a move indicating a renewed push in the probe, the ACB, which had seen little action on its FIR, constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on January 6 to investigate the corruption allegations thoroughly.
Defence Challenges and Next Steps
Patel's legal team has previously contested the legality of his arrest by the ED. They have argued that the agency's action was improper and that it has failed to establish a concrete, "unbroken chain of evidence" against their client. With Patel now in judicial custody, the focus shifts to the ongoing investigations by both the ACB's newly formed SIT and the ED's money laundering probe.
The case has drawn significant attention to issues of governance and corruption in Gujarat. The judicial custody marks a new phase as the courts await the findings of the investigative agencies, which will determine the future course of this high-profile case involving a senior Indian Administrative Service officer.
