The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Surendranagar Collector Dr. Rajendra Patel in connection with an alleged Rs. 1,500-crore non-agricultural (NA) land conversion scam, marking a major development in the agency’s ongoing investigation into irregularities in land-use approvals.
According to reports, Patel was taken into custody after prolonged questioning by ED officials at his Gandhinagar residence. The arrest is part of a broader probe into alleged large-scale manipulation of NA land conversion permissions in Surendranagar district.
The action follows ED raids carried out on December 23, 2025, at the residences of the then Surendranagar Collector and other senior district officials. On the same day, an ED officer filed a formal complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Surendranagar, naming Patel, Deputy Mamlatdar Chandrasinh Mori, collectorate clerk Mayur Gohil, and the collector’s personal assistant Jayrajsinh Zala under relevant anti-corruption provisions, reports said. In the aftermath of these developments, Patel was transferred from his official position.
As per the ACB complaint, Deputy Mamlatdar Chandrasinh Mori is alleged to have accepted bribes totalling Rs. 1 crore, allegedly with the knowledge and involvement of the then collector, his clerk and his personal assistant. Investigators also claim to have recovered documents that reportedly contain details of middlemen involved in the alleged racket, along with corresponding amounts meant to be paid to them.
The case gathered further momentum after the ED seized Rs. 67.50 lakh in cash during a raid at Mori’s residence in Surendranagar district on December 23. The cash, recovered from a bedroom, was seized under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In his statement recorded under the PMLA, Mori reportedly admitted that the seized cash represented bribe money collected either directly or through intermediaries from applicants seeking quicker or favourable clearances for NA land conversion applications.
In the complaint, ED Director Siddharth Jain stated that the agency acted on credible, source-based intelligence pointing to widespread manipulation in land-related approvals by the Surendranagar district administration. Based on these inputs, the ED launched coordinated search operations that eventually led to the arrests and further legal action in the case.
Also Read: Cash Seizure From Deputy Mamlatdar Triggers ED–ACB Probe Into Surendranagar Collectorate https://www.vibesofindia.com/cash-seizure-from-deputy-mamlatdar-triggers-ed-acb-probe-into-surendranagar-collectorate/
