https://stg-www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ed-details-speed-money-scam-by-gujarat-ias-officer-hisaab-of-bribes-on-whatsapp-set-rate-50-share-101767537651678.html

Gujarat IAS officer and former Surendranagar collector Rajendrakumar Patel allegedly fixed bribe rates of ₹5 to ₹10 per square metre as “speed money” for Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals, generating proceeds of crime exceeding ₹10 crore across more than 800 applications, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has told a court as part of its charges against him.

The agency has cited digital evidence, including “hisaab” (accounts) of bribe collections and WhatsApp messages, to identify Patel as the key beneficiary, and secured his custodial remand till January 7 in the money laundering probe, PTI reported.

In a remand application submitted before a special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ahmedabad on January 2, the central agency said bribes were systematically demanded and collected as “speed money” to expedite CLU approvals.

The money was allegedly routed through a network of intermediaries operating from the district collector’s office in Gujarat.

The court remanded Patel to ED custody till January 7.

Hisaab collections for ‘speed money’

According to the agency, accounts of bribe collections were maintained and periodically transmitted to the district collector’s personal assistant, as reflected in digital evidence recovered during the probe.

The ED said investigations have so far traced more than 800 CLU applications in which bribes were allegedly paid, resulting in proceeds of crime exceeding ₹10 crore, forming part of a larger money laundering racket, the report added.

Patel, a 2015-batch IAS officer and the then Surendranagar collector, was described as the key beneficiary and final decision-maker in the alleged scheme.

Patel was transferred without posting about a week ago, following the ED’s arrest of deputy mamlatdar (revenue officer) Chandrasingh Mori from his office in connection with the case.

The federal agency is investigating alleged money laundering involving Patel, Mori and others after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Seeking custodial remand, the ED reiterated that bribes were demanded as “speed money” for CLU approvals, with rates allegedly pre-fixed at ₹5 to ₹10 per square metre depending on the nature of the application and applicable legal provisions.

How the bribe was ‘shared’

The agency said Patel, as district collector at the relevant time, was the ultimate authority for granting CLU approvals under the Saurashtra Gharkhed, Tenancy Settlement and Agricultural Lands Ordinance, 1949, and the Gujarat Land Revenue Code, 1879. His position enabled him to control and influence both the pace and outcome of CLU applications.

While the generation of proceeds of crime has been established prima facie, the ED told the court that the layering, concealment and integration of these funds are yet to be fully ascertained, necessitating custodial interrogation.

Statements recorded under the PMLA allegedly point to a “fixed sharing arrangement”.

Of the total bribe amount collected, 50 per cent allegedly went to Patel, 10 per cent was retained by an intermediary, and the remaining amount was distributed among other officials in the collectorate, including the resident additional collector, a mamlatdar and a clerk.

WhatsApp messages, PDF files, and photos

The ED cited the statement of Chetan Kanzaria, who allegedly admitted that the prevailing rate for CLU approvals was ₹10 per square metre and that he had personally paid around ₹65 lakh in bribes to the Surendranagar collector’s office to secure approvals.

In his statement, Patel’s personal assistant Jayrajsinh Zala said he used to share details of bribe collections with the collector from time to time and that 50 per cent of the total bribe money collected from CLU applicants was handed over to Patel.

Mori had earlier stated that Zala collected the collector’s share from him and delivered it to Patel.

Digital evidence recovered from mobile phones allegedly includes WhatsApp communications, PDF files and photographs showing the maintenance of “hisaab” of bribe collections and their periodic transmission to the district collector’s personal assistant.

WhatsApp messages retrieved from Mori’s phone allegedly showed that the entire network was managed and controlled as per the collector’s instructions.

The ED further alleged that although a flat in Ahmedabad was purchased in Patel’s name, the rental income was credited to his mother’s bank account. The agency also claimed that Patel did not directly pay his children’s school fees, suggesting that household expenses were met using unaccounted cash.