The Agarwal family thrashed to death their 12-year-old help Alo Sen because she asked for more food than she was given, police have learnt.

Bijay Agarwal, the head of the family, told police that they were not happy with Alo as she was not interested in domestic chores and “always asked for more food”. He denied it was a planned murder.

The post-mortem report indicated that the girl died after being hit with a heavy object. The body was found in a jute sack on Foreshore Road on Saturday. Bijay, his wife and their son and daughter were arrested.

Alo’s father Sonu, a rickshawpuller in the Jadavpur station area, visited Howrah police morgue and identified the body.

Howrah police superintendent Niraj Kumar Singh said: “The Agarwals admitted that the girl died after being struck with a stick. Their neighbour said the family used to torture the girl frequently.”

Alo started working for the family four months ago for a monthly wage of Rs 250. “The Agarwals paid her only two months’ wages and did not give her a square meal, but I never imagined they would kill my little girl,” said a sobbing Sonu.

Four police officers, including the investigating officer of Howrah police station, took Bijay, a trader, to his Titagarh home. Sources said he enacted how the child was killed last Thursday.

On Friday, Bijay met Alo’s parents at Piyalighat village, in Canning, and told them that she had fled from his house after stealing Rs 600.

After returning home, Bijay and his wife Manju packed the body into a jute bag, took it to Howrah in a taxi and dumped it near Burn Standard Company, hardly 50 feet from Howrah police station.

Bijay later tried to lodge a missing diary with Titagarh police station. The police refused to take the diary because he did not tell them Alo’s address.

Manju, the girl’s mother, said she did not want to send Alo to the Agarwals but agreed to do so after a relative recommended the family to them.