ED arrests Guj revenue official in bribery laundering case, finds Rs 67.50 lakh in his home

Ahmedabad, Dec 24 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches and arrested a deputy mamlatdar (revenue officer) posted at the Surendranagar district collector’s office in Gujarat after recovering Rs 67.50 lakh in his home, officials said on Wednesday.

The ED searched the residence of Chandrasinh Mori in Surendranagar on Tuesday in a bribery-linked money laundering case. He was produced before a special PMLA court here on Wednesday, which remanded him in ED custody till January 1.

As per the remand application, the federal agency recovered Rs 67.50 lakh from Mori's residence.

The ED claimed Mori admitted that "the seized cash represents bribe money demanded and collected by him, directly and through intermediaries, from applicants seeking expedited or favourable processing of statutory land-use application".

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

The remand application also stated that the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau had also registered a separate FIR against Mori and others.

The investigation revealed a "large-scale corruption and generation of proceeds of crime through systematic extortion, demand, and collection of illegal gratification by public servants in Surendranagar collector's office, the remand application stated.

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 added.

The anti-money laundering agency told the court that Mori had acquired and concealed proceeds of crime in excess of Rs 1 crore by misusing his official position.

The analysis of the material recovered during the search operation suggests that he is "guilty of the offence of money laundering" PTI PJT PD NSK