A young homemaker and a minor tribal girl were found murdered in different locations of Malda district on Friday afternoon and evening.

Police said the bodies bore severe injury marks.

The 25-year-old woman, a homemaker, was found in a maize field on Friday afternoon. Her throat was slashed and her body bore multiple injury marks.

The body of the 13-year-old tribal girl was found at a brick kiln on Friday early evening.

Sources said her head was smashed with bricks while her mouth was gagged with cloth. Her family members said she went out of home around 7pm on Thursday for a tribal festival and didn’t return at night.

The deaths have led to protests in the district. On Saturday, the BJP, the Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA) and Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP) demonstrated in the district, demanding arrests of culprits.

“The tribal girl was brutally killed and we suspect tortured before her death. If the culprits are not arrested, we will intensify our movement,” said Mohan Hansda, the ASA north Bengal zonal chief.

Saniram Soren, a JDP leader in the district, echoed him.

Khagen Murmu, the BJP MP from Malda, along with Gopal Saha, a party MLA, met the girl’s bereaved family. "We have assured all help to them from our side,” the MP said.

The chairman of the district child welfare committee and the district child protection officer Shibendu Sekhar Jana visited the area to probe the girl’s death. A report will be submitted to the district administration.

The police have detained some persons in connection with the murders but have not let out details to help the investigation, sources said. Post-mortem reports are awaited.