Krishnagar, April 12: Twelve-year-old Tinku Khatun hanged herself with her little blue dupatta this morning after she was held responsible for a boy?s tease calls.

A Class V student of the local high school in Karimpur, about 180 km from Calcutta, she killed herself minutes after hearing that a meeting of village elders had dismissed her grandfather?s complaints and blamed her for the teasing.

The meeting, chaired by the father of the accused, Dabir Sheikh, among others, was held this morning to discuss grandfather Chairuddin Sheikh?s complaint.

He alleged that Rahul Sheikh, 16, had been making passes at Tinku for the past few months. Chairuddin also said that he made lewd gestures towards his granddaughter every time she stepped out of her house. Tinku had repeatedly resisted his advances.

Hearing the verdict, she reportedly told her grandmother: ?How can I show my face after all these things were discussed in a meeting attended by hundreds of villagers??

Around 10 am, when Suhoron Bibi went to call Tinku for a meal, she found the room bolted from inside. When repeated knocks failed to elicit a response, she peeped through a hole in the door and found her hanging from the ceiling fan.

The elderly woman raised an alarm and neighbours rushed in. Tinku was pronounced dead in hospital.

The girl, whose farmer parents lived in Jalangi, Murshidabad, used to stay with her maternal grandparents.

Tehatta subdivisional police officer K.P. Barui said Rahul accosted Tinku on her way from school and she told local people that he went after her almost every day. ?Some of the villagers then abused Rahul, which made him grumpy.?

A Karimpur police officer said the residents had informed Rahul?s family about his conduct. The boy tried to call Tinku out of her home last night, but was prevented by Chairuddin. The old man was then allegedly hit with a stick.

Around 6 am today, Chairuddin went to neighbouring Patabuko, the boy?s village, and informed his family about his deeds. In the face of questions from his father and uncle ? Dabir and Kabir, both wealthy farmers ? Rahul said the girl had responded to his call.

?The villagers then asked me to attend a meeting. There, the gun was turned on Tinku,? said Chairuddin.

Rahul, his father and uncle have been arrested. The police are looking for those who supported the boy at the meeting.