Kolkata, Feb 23 (IANS): The body of a minor girl, hailing from a tribal and financially backward family, was recovered from an abandoned brick-kiln at a village in West Bengal's Malda district on Friday evening, police said.

The family members of the victim minor have alleged that she was first raped, subsequently murdered, and the body dumped at the brick-kiln.

The body of the victim has been sent for post-mortem examination.

Local police sources said that after the report is obtained, the exact cause of death can be ascertained and also it will be clear whether she was raped.

Her family members told the police that she was missing since late Thursday evening. They searched for her for the entire night and continued throughout Friday. Finally, her body was located behind an unused furnace of the abandoned brick kiln with her face smashed.

"We strongly suspect that she was first raped and then murdered. We demand a thorough probe in the matter. We demand a proper investigation in the matter. We are coming from an extremely poor financial background. But despite that I got her admitted to a local school. I wanted her to get educated," the victim's father told media persons.

A police official said that an investigation has been initiated in the matter.