A village in Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila turned into a battlefield on Tuesday as enraged residents clashed with police over the “rape and murder” of a seven-year-old girl, leaving at least 20 people, including the district’s superintendent of police (SP) and an officer-in-charge (OC), injured.

Violence erupted after police refused to hand over the prime suspect to the crowd. Seven vehicles were vandalised during the melee.

Nandini Kanto Roy, daughter of Nalini Kanto of Folimari village under Bhelabari union, was found dead in a maize field of the village in the morning, a day after she went missing on Monday afternoon.

Locals spotted muddy soil in the nearby maize field. Later, they dug up the spot, where they found the child's body stuffed inside a sack.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Suspicion later fell on Bidhan Chandra Roy, 22, on of Ranjit Kumar Roy of the same village, after a local resident reportedly saw him returning from the maize field carrying a spade on Monday evening.

Later, agitated villagers swooped on his house and vandalised it while he was inside the house.

Policemen, who were present at the spot, took Bidhan into their custody.

However, locals demanded that Bidhan be handed to them for immediate punishment.

As police refused to hand him over to the protesters, they besieged the law enforcers and swooped on them.

As police swung into action, a clash broke out between the two sides, when chases and counter-chase took place for nearly three hours, turning the whole area into a battlefield.

On information, Lalmonirhat SP Md Ashaduszaman rushed to the scene. However, angry locals also surrounded him along with members of the crime scene investigation unit.

Additional policemen from Sadar, Kaliganj and Detective Branch, along with two Fire Service units and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, later rushed to spot only to be besieged too.

Deputy Commissioner Md Rashedul Hoque Prodhan, BGB-15 Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Mehedi Imam and other district and upazila officials subsequently arrived at the scene but were similarly surrounded by the crowd.

Officials remained stranded for nearly three hours as protesters intermittently attacked them, police said.

Later, the law enforcers fired three rounds of sound grenades to disperse the crowd and rescue them.

The melee left at least 20 people, including the SP and OC Nazmul Haque of Aditmari Police Station, injured.

The attackers also vandalised seven vehicles, including the DC’s vehicle, during the violence.

According to local people, Bidhan is a drug addict and he lured Nandini to a maize field, raped and murdered her before stuffing the body into a sack and burying it.

"We had to use three rounds of sound grenades to bring the situation under control. Several police members were injured and a number of government vehicles were damaged,” said the SP.

A case was filed over Nandini's killing and police arrested Bidhan and his father over the incident.

A separate case will also be filed for obstructing government officials from performing their duties, Ashaduszaman added.

Meanwhile, the Aditmari OC was withdrawn following the incident, he said.

DC Rashedul said a thorough investigation will be conducted. "Legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation, and justice will be ensured for the victim," he said.