A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered at Mahuabagh, under the jurisdiction of Parsa Bazar police station, early on Sunday.

The victim, a Mahuabagh resident, went missing from a cultural show in the locality, around 1.30am on Sunday. She had gone to the function along with her parents.

The police said the parents realised the girl was missing when they were starting for home. They looked for her at the venue but could not find her. They reported the matter at the nearby Phulwarisharif police station, which referred the matter to Parsa Bazar police, under whose jurisdiction the area where the girl went missing falls.

But before the police could find her, residents alerted the girl’s father about a body found on the outskirts of the village, around 1.5km from their house. It turned out to be his daughter’s.

The girl’s clothes were torn and she was in semi-nude condition, an indication she might have been raped.

Parsa Bazar police station house officer (SHO) Nandji Prasad did not rule out rape.

“Prima facie, it appears she was gang-raped and subsequently killed. But we can confirm it only after receiving the post-mortem report,” he said.

The girl’s body has been sent to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for post-mortem.

Her father, who lodged a formal complaint on Sunday, is a daily wager at a private firm in Phulwarisharif. The police said raids are on to arrest the culprits.

As news about recovery of the girl’s body spread, a large number of people gathered at Mahuabagh and blocked traffic on the Phulwari-Khagaul road for several hours.

They were demanding immediate arrest of the offenders and the chief minister’s visit to the spot. The road blockade was lifted and traffic restored at noon after senior police officials promised to book those behind the crime and ensure speedy trial.

“We want speedy justice,” the girl’s father said.

City superintendent of police (SP) Satyavir Singh later visited the Parsa Bazar police station and issued necessary instructions to the investigating officer. Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jitendra Rana said two suspects had been identified in the crime and raids were on to arrest them.

The incident has angered residents, who complained that young girls and women were constantly being harassed. “The police seldom take notice of such complaints. Most victims don’t report the matter to the police, as they apprehend a threat to their lives from such elements,” said a sexagenarian woman, whose daughter-in-law was recently attacked. She said the area has witnessed a substantial growth in population in the past couple of years.

“Several apartments and big buildings have come up in the locality but the presence of the men-in-uniform remains negligible,” she said.