Ahmedabad: A special court under the Enforcement Directorate framework in Ahmedabad has rejected the regular bail plea of Rajendrakumar Patel, a 2015-batch IAS officer and former collector of Surendranagar, who was arrested earlier this year in a bribery-linked money laundering case.
The court held that, based on available records and evidence presented in the prosecution complaint, it could not form a prima facie opinion that the officer was not guilty under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA).
Special PMLA Court Rejects Regular Bail Plea
The order was passed by Special PMLA Judge KM Sojitra, who declined to grant regular bail to Rajendrakumar Patel.
The court observed that the material placed before it, including complaint papers and documentary evidence, indicated sufficient prima facie grounds to continue judicial proceedings under money laundering provisions.
According to the court, the threshold required under PMLA for granting bail was not met.
Court Cites Prima Facie Evidence of ₹3.12 Crore Bribe Trail
The court noted that the complaint prima facie showed that Patel allegedly received ₹3.12 crore in bribe proceeds.
The prosecution relied on:
• a ‘hisaab’ sheet allegedly recording payments
• digital evidence recovered during investigation
• statements of co-accused recorded under Section 50 of PMLA
The court said these materials suggested the accused had derived proceeds of crime linked to illegal activities.
ED Probe Linked to Bribery and Land Clearance Approvals
The Enforcement Directorate initiated the money laundering probe after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).
The case involves alleged illegal payments connected to land-related approvals and administrative clearances.
The investigation names:
• Rajendrakumar Patel
• Chandrasingh Mori, deputy mamlatdar
• other unidentified associates
Role of Deputy Mamlatdar Under Scanner
According to the investigation, Chandrasingh Mori was entrusted with title verification and processing of Change of Land Use (CLU) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949.
The ED alleged that Mori misused his official position and collected bribes from applicants seeking quicker approvals.
The alleged bribe amount was reportedly calculated on a per square metre basis.
Charges Under Prevention of Corruption Act Also Invoked
The court observed that Rajendrakumar Patel is also facing charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Relevant charges include alleged offences under Sections:
• 7
• 12
• 13
These corruption charges form the scheduled offence that triggered proceedings under PMLA.
Because money laundering cases under PMLA depend on scheduled offences, the corruption allegations remain central to the prosecution.
Gujarat ACB Also Registers FIR
Separately, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered an FIR against Patel and three others.
This FIR was based on a complaint forwarded by the Enforcement Directorate during the course of the money laundering investigation.
The parallel corruption probe is expected to continue independently.
Why Bail Was Denied
Under PMLA, bail can only be granted if the court is satisfied that:
• the accused is not prima facie guilty
• the accused is unlikely to commit further offence while on bail
The court held that these twin conditions were not satisfied in the present case.
Case Significance
The case is significant because it involves:
• a serving IAS officer of the 2015 batch
• allegations linked to land-use permissions
• simultaneous action by ED and anti-corruption authorities
• application of both corruption and money laundering laws
It also reflects increasing scrutiny of financial trails in administrative corruption cases.
