Ahmedabad: A special PMLA court on Friday remanded former Surendranagar district collector Dr. Rajendrakumar Patel to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till January 7 in connection with an alleged bribery network operating from the collectorate to fast-track land-use change approvals.

Patel was produced before the court after his arrest, where the ED sought 10 days of custodial interrogation, citing the need to trace the alleged bribe proceeds and examine how the money was distributed and concealed. The remand application relied on statements of co-accused detailing the alleged sharing of bribe amounts among officials.

According to the ED, deputy mamlatdar and executive magistrate Chandrasinh Mori stated that 50% of the bribe money went to collector Dr Rajendra Patel, 25% to residential additional collector R.K. Oza, 10% each to Mori and mamlatdar Mayur Dave, and 5% to clerk Maryusinh Gohil. Investigators also claimed that Patel’s personal assistant collected bribes on his behalf and later handed them over to him.

Seeking remand, the ED cited further leads from accused statements and a witness, Chetan Kanzaria, who claimed to have paid a ₹65 lakh bribe for land-use change approval. The agency added that analysis of a bribe “hisaab sheet” led to the identification of around 800 NA permission applications, with alleged bribe collections exceeding ₹10 crore.

The agency said it is probing asset creation and alleged concealment of illicit funds. It informed the court that Patel purchased a flat in Ahmedabad’s Chandlodia area, with rent allegedly collected by his mother, and that school fees for his children studying in Surendranagar were not paid. DeshGujarat