12-hour bandh in Darjeeling, Kalimpong on Saturday over Siliguri girl's murder

Darjeeling:  A 12-hour bandh has been called in West Bengal's Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts on Saturday, demanding that the accused in the murder of a schoolgirl in Siliguri's Matigara be tried in a fast-track court.

The bandh, which will begin at 6 am and continue till 6 pm, has been called by the newly-formed Gorkha Sewa Sena, and supported by the taxi associations of Kurseong, Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

On Thursday, a 12-hour shutdown in Siliguri by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on the issue affected daily lives.

The body of the girl was found in a dilapidated house in Matigara area on Monday evening. Police said they have already arrested the accused, who tried to sexually assault her but as she resisted, he bludgeoned her to death.

The stone with which the girl was attacked was also recovered, they said.

The girl was a class 11 student of a Nepali-medium school. She was returning home from school, when the accused intercepted her, police said.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) chief Anit Thapa indicated that his outfit will neither support Saturday's bandh, nor oppose it.

"Those who called the bandh will have to understand that the matter is sub-judice," he said.