ED takes custody of jailed IAS officer K Rajesh in bribery case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday took custody of suspended Gujarat-cadre IAS officer K Rajesh who was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an alleged bribery case.

While the ED did not issue any statement, a senior official of the Sabarmati Central Prison here, where Rajesh was lodged, said he was handed over to the central agency as directed by a court.

Last month, the CBI filed a charge sheet against him for taking bribes for issuing arms licences to ineligible people, allotment of government land to ineligible beneficiaries and grant of other illegal favours when he was Surendranagar collector.

Rajesh was in judicial custody since July 18 after his CBI remand got over.

The ED started probe into alleged money laundering on the basis of the CBI’s FIR against Rajesh and his accomplice Mohammad Rafiq Memon registered in May, sources said.

The 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was arrested by the CBI in July. He was then serving as joint secretary in the General Administration Department of the Gujarat government.

The state government subsequently suspended him.

In May, the CBI had arrested Surat resident Memon who allegedly acted as a middleman and collected bribes on Rajesh’s behalf.