Ahmedabad PMLA Court Denies Bail to IAS Officer Rajendrakumar Patel in ₹3.12 Crore Bribery-Linked Money Laundering Case
Ahmedabad PMLA court has denied bail to IAS officer Rajendrakumar Patel in a ₹3.12 crore bribery-linked money laundering case. The ED probe involves land clearance approvals, with parallel FIR registered by Gujarat ACB.
A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ahmedabad has rejected the regular bail plea of Rajendrakumar Patel, a 2015-batch IAS officer and former collector of Surendranagar. Patel was arrested earlier this year by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering case involving alleged proceeds of crime worth ₹3.12 crore.
Court Rejects Bail Plea
The order was passed by Special PMLA Judge KM Sojitra, who held that based on the records and evidence presented in the prosecution complaint, the court could not form a prima facie opinion that Patel was not guilty under PMLA provisions.
The judge observed that the material placed before the court — including complaint papers, documentary evidence, and statements of co-accused — provided sufficient grounds to continue judicial proceedings. The threshold required under PMLA for granting bail was therefore not met.
Evidence of ₹3.12 Crore Bribe Trail
The court noted that the prosecution complaint prima facie showed Patel allegedly received ₹3.12 crore in bribe proceeds. The ED 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 that Patel had derived proceeds of crime linked to illegal activities.
ED Probe: Bribery and Land Clearance Approvals
The ED initiated its 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 ED, Chandrasingh Mori was responsible for title verification and processing of Change of Land Use (CLU) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949.
The agency alleged that Mori misused his position and collected bribes from applicants seeking faster approvals. The bribe amounts were reportedly calculated on a per square metre basis.
Corruption Charges Trigger PMLA Proceedings
The court observed that Patel is also facing charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, including Sections 7, 12, and 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 Registers FIR
Separately, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against Patel and three others. This FIR was based on a complaint forwarded by the ED during 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, and
The accused is unlikely to commit further offences while on bail.
The court held that these twin conditions were not satisfied in Patel’s case.
Case Significance
This case is significant because it involves:
A serving IAS officer of the 2015 batch,
Allegations linked to land-use permissions,
Simultaneous action by both ED and ACB,
Application of corruption and money laundering laws.
It underscores the increasing scrutiny of financial trails in administrative corruption cases and highlights the judiciary’s cautious approach in granting bail under stringent PMLA provisions.
