Two teenage sisters from a tribal community in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district were allegedly abducted last Friday and gangraped for two days. The elder of the two died on Monday, a day after she reportedly consumed pesticide with her sister, who is in critical condition at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
The girls, aged 16 years and 14 years, were reportedly sexually assaulted. The medical report is awaited.
The police have arrested three of the five accused, and charged them with rape and abetment to suicide. They were were produced in Jalpaiguri court on Tuesday and sent to police custody for seven days.
The alleged incident occurred on September 4, when the sisters went out with some youths from the area, according to their family. “We thought they went out as usual. However, they were missing for two days and came back on September 6,” said the girls’ brother.
The family took the girls to a local hospital after they started feeling unwell. The medical facility referred them to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
“At the hospital, my sisters told us that they were gangraped by five men and how they managed to escape and reach home. Then we got to know that they consumed poison after coming back home, due to which they fell sick,” said the brother.
“The elder sister died on Monday night while the other one is in hospital. We are probing the case from all angles. The family has claimed both were raped, and after returning they consumed pesticides. Primarily, the family has claimed that they only came to know about the rape after the girls consumed poison and were rushed to the hospital,” a police officer said.
After the 16-year-old girl’s body arrived at the village on Tuesday, residents protested and pointed fingers at the police.
Meanwhile, local TMC MLA Khageswar Ray met the sisters’ father and said he had asked the administration to take strict action against the culprits. With PTI inputs
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