Police on Monday lodged an FIR against a number of people for attacking securitymen during a rampage over the death of a 12-year-old girl.

Residents of Morasandi village, Manoj Ram, Mohan Kesri, Parbhu, Sahdev Das and several others, have been named in the FIR for instigating villagers to attack policemen and disrupting traffic on National Highway 28 on Sunday. Trouble had erupted after the police handed over the body of 12-year-old Soni Kumari, who was allegedly murdered on Saturday, to her family.

Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar said he suspected the role of Naxalites for instigating the rampage. “We have identified the people responsible for the attack on Motipur police station house officer Nawal Kishore Rai and sub-inspector Ashok Das,” he said.

Soni, a resident of Morasandi village, 28km west from Muzaffarpur under the jurisdiction of Motipur police station, had taken out her family’s goats to graze on Saturday when she allegedly stole a few sweet potatoes.

The owner of the field allegedly assaulted and killed her. Soni’s father, Ashrafi Mahto, said: “They beat up my daughter and also tied her throat with a ribbon to prevent her from swallowing a piece of sweet potato.”

Mahto had lodged an FIR at Motipur police station on Saturday. Her mother, Bacchu Devi, alleged that landowner Rajeshwar Rai, wife Chanda Devi and their daughter were responsible for the alleged murder. The police have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused.

Soni’s body was cremated on the banks of the Budhi Gandak at Morasandi on Monday afternoon. Deputy superintendent of police (west) Anuj Kumar is camping at Motipur as a precautionary measure.