Jaynagar remained tense on Tuesday, with villagers clashing with police and demanding justice for the nine-year-old girl allegedly found raped and murdered on Saturday morning.

The unrest escalated when police attempted to stop villagers from holding
a protest march with the child’s body.

The body was brought to her home on Monday night after doctors of AIIMS, Kalyani, performed the autopsy at JNM Hospital there following Calcutta High Court orders.

Tensions flared on Tuesday when police tried to prevent a rally at Garankati village in Mahismari. Villagers surrounded police officers, who were forced to flee after their vehicle was damaged. Tension peaked when the Jaynagar SPDO tried to force his way into the village. Villagers demanded he leave, but when cops attempted to disperse the crowd, violence erupted.

Protesters snatched the keys of the SDPO’s vehicle and vandalised it, forcing him to flee. Angry villagers hurled stones and shoes at the police, forcing them to retreat. Protesters then blocked the Mahismari-Barasat road, declaring they would not end their demonstration until their “daughter” got justice.

A senior police officer dismissed claims of police highhandedness, stating that cops were clearing the way for an injured female constable to be taken to the hospital. “There was no attempt to harass villagers. Some individuals are deliberately trying to escalate the situation,” he said.

Residents of eight villages have joined the protests for justice with anger mounting against the police over “inaction” in the Jaynagar case. According to the girl’s father, police failed to respond to his request for help when she went missing on Friday night.

The girl’s family alleged that if the police had acted promptly, she could have been rescued alive.

“We are not against the police in general, but some officers never listen to people and instead protect goons. We demand justice, both for our daughter and against these officers,” said a villager.

Trinamool MP from Jaynagar, Pratima Mondal, visited the victim’s family on Tuesday.

“It is heartbreaking to see the child’s photo in a frame.... I will do all I can to support the bereaved family,” Mondal, who had been greeted with “go-back” slogans on Saturday, said on Tuesday.

The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) submitted a memorandum to the SP, urging police to stop refusing to receive complaints over “jurisdiction” issues.

Shahanara Khatun, the secretary of APDR’s South 24-Parganas unit, slammed the police for refusing to file the missing person report when the girl’s father approached them.