The mother of the accused in the murder of a nine-yearold girl in Siliguri is now under the police scanner, even as the outcry demanding justice for the poor family and exemplary punishment for the guilty grew in the town.

Surajit Sarkar was arrested in connection with the sexual assault and murder of the girl on 28 January, while his mother Sumati Sarkar, a local leader of the Trinamul Congress, and the owner of the building at Janata Nagar under Ward-44 where the incident took place, has been accused of trying to destroy evidence.

Meanwhile, the BJP demanded the release of eight persons who were allegedly involved in attacking policemen with stones and bricks on 28 January. The SFI, DYFI and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) organised a signature campaign on Tuesday, protesting the incident. Right bodies also demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in the crime.

Police said Surajit had lured the girl, who lived in the building with her family as tenants, with money. Preliminary investigations have suggested that the girl was strangulated. Police said they are still interrogating the family members of the accused, and that they quizzed the parents of the victim on Tuesday. “According to prima facie evidence, Mrs Sarkar tried to destroy the evidence, apprehending that it could land them in trouble,” police sources said. The girl’s body was recovered from the terrace of the building at around 2.30 am on 26 January.

“The family members were aware of the crime, but they tried to shield the accused. Mrs Sarkar tried to destroy the evidence,” said a senior police officer. Meanwhile, BJP activists on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Bhaktinagar Police Station, demanding the unconditional release of the eight persons, including a woman.

According to party leaders, they were only protesting the incident. Police, however, said they attacked them with stones, sticks and bricks and injured seven policemen. Darjeeling district SFI, DYFI and AIDWA organised signature campaigns on Tuesday. The AIDWA held a protest march too.

A team from the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), meanwhile, visited the house of the victim. Secretary of the APDR, Siliguri, Abhiranjan Bhaduri said they were demanding proper investigations into the case and exemplary punishment for the guilty.

Deputy commissioner of police, Zone-1, East, Gaurav Lal, said investigations was still underway. “Police have started investigations and we would be able to make comments after the completion of the probe,” he said.