Ahmedabad PMLA Court Denies Bail to IAS Officer Rajendra Kumar 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 and Gujarat ACB are pursuing parallel investigations into land clearance approvals and corruption charges.
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’s Observations
Special PMLA Judge K.M. Sojitra declined to grant bail, noting that the evidence presented in the prosecution complaint provided sufficient prima facie grounds to continue proceedings under money laundering provisions. The court emphasized that the twin conditions required under PMLA for bail — that the accused is not prima facie guilty and is unlikely to commit further offences while on bail — were not satisfied in this case.
Evidence of Bribery Trail
The court highlighted materials suggesting Patel’s involvement in receiving illegal payments, including:
A “hisaab” sheet allegedly recording bribe transactions,
Digital evidence recovered during the probe,
Statements of co-accused recorded under Section 50 of PMLA.
These documents and testimonies, according to the court, indicated that Patel had derived proceeds of crime linked to corrupt practices.
ED Investigation and Land Clearance Approvals
The ED initiated its probe after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). The case centers on alleged illegal payments connected to land-use approvals and administrative clearances. Alongside Patel, the investigation also names Chandrasingh Mori, deputy mamlatdar, and other unidentified associates.
Mori’s role is under scrutiny for allegedly misusing his position while processing Change of Land Use (CLU) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949. The ED claims bribes were collected from applicants on a per square metre basis.
Corruption Charges and Scheduled Offence
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 money laundering proceedings under PMLA.
Parallel Probe by Gujarat ACB
Separately, the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against Patel and three others, based on a complaint forwarded by the ED. This parallel investigation will continue independently, focusing on corruption allegations.
Significance of the Case
The denial of bail is significant for several reasons:
It involves a serving IAS officer of the 2015 batch, Allegations are linked to land-use permissions and administrative clearances, Both ED and ACB are pursuing parallel investigations.
The case combines provisions of corruption and money laundering laws, highlighting the growing emphasis on financial scrutiny in administrative misconduct cases.
