According to sources, ED officials spent several hours inside the collector’s bungalow examining documents, official records and other materials, meticulously tracing financial trails that could point to undisclosed assets or irregular transactions.

Almost in parallel, another ED team carried out an equally detailed search at Deputy Mamlatdar Mori’s residence, scrutinising property-related papers and financial documents as part of the same investigation.

As the searches progressed, unease spread through government offices in the district, with the early-morning action against a serving district collector sending a clear signal that no rank was beyond scrutiny.

By afternoon, the scope of the operation widened, with ED teams extending searches to the offices of contractors and advocates in the town, indicating a possible network of links connected to the alleged financial irregularities.

While the ED has maintained silence on the exact trigger for the operation, officials familiar with the inquiry said the searches are linked to suspected financial irregularities and possible illegal or undisclosed transactions. Investigators are now working to establish links between government officials and private entities.

There has been no official word so far on seizures, arrests or the next course of action. However, officials confirmed that a detailed assessment of the documents and materials recovered is underway, after which the ED is expected to decide on further legal steps, keeping Surendranagar and wider administrative circles in Gujarat on edge.