candidate suspends campaign, demands arrest of culprit in school girl murder case
The Statesman | 25 March 2026
BJP candidate for the Siliguri Assembly constituency, Sankar Ghosh, on Tuesday suspended all public campaigning and began an indefinite sit-in demonstration demanding the immediate arrest of an accused, Amir Ali, in connection with the unnatural death of a 16-year-old school girl in the city.
The girl was found hanging at her residence in Durga Nagar, Gurung Busty, under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area on Monday. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and initiated an investigation.
The incident came to light after the victim’s family lodged a complaint alleging that a private tutor, identified as Amir Ali, had been repeatedly sexually harassing and blackmailing her after allegedly recording objectionable videos and photographs. The family claimed that the sustained mental trauma drove her to take the extreme step out of fear of social stigma.
Soon after the death, local residents and neighbours staged protests demanding strict action against the accused. Tension escalated on Monday when an agitated crowd initially refused to allow police to remove the body for post-mortem examination. After hours of negotiation, a large police contingent recovered the body, conducted post-mortem and brought her at home after 5 p.m. Demonstrations continued late into the night until the cremation was completed.
Amid the escalating protests, sitting MLA Sankar Ghosh cut short his election outreach programme and launched an indefinite dharna, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.
“The police were requested to arrest Amir Ali by 10 a.m. on Tuesday for his alleged misconduct with the victim. As the arrest was not made within the stipulated time, I have decided to suspend my campaign and continue this protest until he is apprehended,” Ghosh told reporters.
Police officials said efforts are underway to trace the accused. “We are searching for the suspect and hope to arrest him soon,” a senior officer said.
Siliguri Mayor Goutam Deb on Tuesday evening met the family of the minor who allegedly died by suicide, amid the ongoing Assembly election campaign in which the BJP has sought to raise the issue. Mr Deb, who is a TMC candidate for Siliguri, assured the bereaved parents that he would personally look into the matter to ensure that justice is delivered.