Gujarat Collector and Officials Booked in ₹67.5 Lakh Cash Seizure Scam

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Gujarat has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against former Surendranagar district collector Rajendrakumar Patel and three others, including a deputy mamlatdar and a clerk, in connection with a corruption case. The move comes after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized ₹67.5 lakh in cash from the residence of the deputy mamlatdar, Chandrasinh Mori, and arrested him in a money laundering case. According to ACB director Piyush Patel, the FIR was registered based on the ED's complaint. The investigation is ongoing, and all aspects of the case are being examined. The ED had earlier filed an FIR against Patel and the three others on money laundering charges. The case has raised questions about the district-level administration's handling of land conversions, non-agricultural permissions, and other revenue-related approvals. As the head of the Surendranagar district administration, Patel had final authority over land-use and other key revenue decisions. Mori, who was arrested earlier this week, has been accused of accepting bribes in exchange for expediting applications. The ED had recovered ₹67.5 lakh in cash from his residence, which Mori could not explain. The agency has claimed that the cash was part of a larger arrangement of illegal collections linked to official work carried out from the collectorate. The ACB is examining revenue and land-related files handled by the accused officials, as well as bank accounts, financial transactions, and asset details, to trace the alleged money trail. The case has sparked concerns about the prevalence of corruption in the district administration. Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi has alleged that such scams have been continuing for a long time and may be present in other districts as well. The ACB is currently investigating the roles of the other accused officials and the extent of the alleged scam.