Top police officers, elected representatives and people at large rushed within minutes of receiving information that a dead body was recovered in the Amidhara Wadi Road area of Rander on Saturday.

The dead body was later identified to be that of Haribhai Dayalbhai Patel (46), a watchman of the telecom department.

According to post-mortem reports, Patel died of a hear attack during the early hours of Saturday. Police Sub-Inspector K C Damor of the Rander police station is investigating the case. Patel, an employee of a private security firm, NISS was deployed as a watchman for the past few months. A case of accidental death under Criminal Procedure Code 174 has been registered.

What was, however, interesting was the response of the police and the elected representatives, along with the people themselves. Within minutes of the dead body being spotted and news spreading like a fire, the Rander police, local municipal councillors and other leaders rushed to the spot, fearing the worst. A huge crowd gathered at the compound, but were held at bay by the police, who shifted the body to the New Civil hospital in the city. Patel was a resident of Kachhla village in neighbouring Olpad taluka, the police stated.

Faced with criticism from all quarters over the murder, the state government shunted out former police commissioner Maniram and appointed Kuldip Sharma in his place. Five policemen of the Rander police station were suspended for their tardy reaction to news of the murder.