Ahmedabad, Jan 2 (PTI) IAS officer and former collector of Gujarat’s Surendranagar district Rajendrakumar Patel has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering case, officials said on Friday.

“ED has arrested Patel in connection with a bribery-linked money laundering probe,” confirmed a senior police official.

Patel, a 2015-batch IAS officer who last served as the Surendranagar collector, was transferred without a posting a week ago, after the ED arrested a 'deputy mamlatdar' (revenue officer) from his office in a money laundering case stemming from bribery.

The central agency is investigating alleged money laundering involving the deputy mamlatdar, Chandrasingh Mori, and others, following the registration of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau has also registered an FIR against Patel and three others on a complaint by the ED in connection with the money laundering probe.

As deputy mamlatdar, Mori was entrusted with the title verification and processing of CLU (change of land use) applications under the Saurashtra Gharkhed Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949.

Mori allegedly misused his position and collected bribes from applicants for speedy approval of applications. The bribe amount was calculated on a square metre basis, the ED had said earlier. PTI PJT PD NR

Gujarat IAS officer arrested in bribery linked money laundering probe involving expedited land use approvals. A money laundering inquiry, initiated by an Enforcement Case Information Report under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, led to the arrest of a senior administrative officer after investigation of a deputy revenue officer accused of soliciting bribes calculated by area for expedited change of land use approvals; a state anti corruption agency filed a related First Information Report based on the federal complaint.