The body of a teenage girl, whose father is in jail on charges of allegedly molesting her friend on November 2, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the bedroom of her home in Dakshindari, near Lake Town, on Tuesday afternoon.

The girl’s mother, who spotted the body, informed the family members who, along with some of their neighbours, brought her down, an officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.

The police said they did not find any suicide note.

The mother said the girl would remain depressed as some people in their locality, including the family members of her friend who lives next door, would tease her over the incident involving her father.

“My husband had merely protested the bursting of firecrackers by the girl and her family members in front of our house. We have had several disputes with them in the past. However, that night they lodged a police complaint and accused my husband of molesting the girl,” said the mother.

An officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate said the man is in jail for a month.

Soon after the girl’s body was found, her family members and neighbours started a protest and did not allow the police to take the body to a hospital for a post-mortem.

A section of residents, including those who had lodged the molestation complaint, fled the area.

A large police force, led by the deputy commissioner of police, Bidhannnagar zone, Aneesh Sarkar, was deployed to pacify the protesters, but they refused to relent.

Fire and emergency services minister Sujit Bose, who is also the MLA of Bidhannagar, visited Dakshindari and spoke with the victim’s family.

“I asked the family to cooperate,” said Bose.

The protesters let the police take the body for the post-mortem around 6pm, six hours after her body was found.

The police team later escorted those who had fled back to the neighbourhood.

A police patrol team has been deployed in the area.