While enraged citizens gave vent to their emotions yesterday and entered into fisticuffs with both the police and the politicians who rushed in much later, political leaders on their part sharply criticised the city police for their `incompetence' and demanded a change in the leadership.

Interestingly, even the BJP -- whose government in Gandhinagar handles the home portfolio -- criticised the police for its reaction yesterday. Minister of state for mines and minerals Narottam Patel said the commissioner had failed and added that he had already asked the home minister to transfer Maniram from the city.

His views were echoed by BJP leader in the SMC Natu Patel, who told Express Newsline: ``We have already informed the state leadership that the city police has failed miserably in checking law and order here and it is high time that a decision is taken by the government.''

The party's city unit president said that he would lead a procession of councillors under the banner of the BJP Mahila Morcha to the Police Commissioner's office and demand an explanation for the delay in reaching the scene of the crime. ``We will make a demand to the state government that the best police official in the state be posted as Surat CP,'' he told Express Newsline.

The Congress was not far behind, with GPCC vice-president Kadir Peerzada and city party chief Thakore Naik demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, stating that the law and order situation in the city had deteriorated after the BJP government assumed power.

Incidentally, it was only after civilians contacted the office of the Commissioner of Police that he reached the spot along with other top police officials. The rules state that a police official should reach the spot of an emergency within 10 minutes of the police station concerned being informed.

``The public anger was greater because the residents did not see the Rander police at the spot immediately afterwards,'' Maniram said, adding that Assistant Commissioner of Police (G Div) Vasava, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, reached the spot but was not recognised by the crowd.

The sequence of events on Saturday evening:
3:45 pm: Chintan, the elder son of Nita Satbhaya left for tuitionBetween 3:45 and 3:50 pm: Assailants walk in through the open door, slit the throat of a resting Satbhaya while one of them prevents the daughter from raising an alarm, and walk off.