Kolkata, Aug 24 (IANS)  The 12-hour bandh called by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in West Bengal's Siliguri district against the recent rape-murder of a schoolgirl in the area has failed to evoke any response on Thursday.

There were picketings at certain points of the city since morning, with the people being urged to observe bandh in view of the heinous incident.

However, there was no event of forceful enforcement of the strike and hence the police contingent deployed did not have to take any action so far.

Already one person has been arrested for the rape and murder of the schoolchild. The arrested accused, identified as Md Abbas (22), is the prime accused in the crime, Deputy Commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police Avhishek Gupta has confirmed.

The local people had ransacked the residence of the accused. Even the residence of a neighbour, reported to be close to the family of the accused, was also vandalised.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa have demanded completion of the investigation process at the earliest and the strict punishment to the accused.

The accused has been booked under Section 302 (punishment for murder) and various sections of the Prevention of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

While decrying the heinous incident, the local Trinamool Congress leadership has also said that there had been an attempt to give the crime a communal shape.