Malik, a Class III student of Paramananda Primary School, was spotted by one of her neighbours. The body was later fished out by locals.

Marks were found around Malik’s neck, pointing towards a possible strangulation.

When the police came to the spot to remove the body, locals gheraoed them, sparking an altercation.

A huge police contingent rushed to the spot. Later, sniffer dogs were pressed into service, said police.

Residents claimed that before her murder, Malik had been raped. They also demanded immediate arrest of the murderers.

Father of the deceased, Hemanta Malik, said no one from his family has any enmity with anyone in the area. On Saturday, the family lodged a missing complaint at the Jangipara police station.

The body was taken to Serampore Walsh Hospital for a postmortem in the evening, said Serampore Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ajoy Thakur.