A 16-year-old tribal girl, who along with her 14-year-old sister had been gang-raped at a village in Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri four days back, died at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) on Monday night.

After the rape, both the sisters had swallowed pesticide. Her 14-year-old sister is batting for her life in the hospital.

The incident sparked tension in the village and adjoining areas, prompting senior police officers to visit the spot for investigation.

Of the five accused of rape, three have been arrested so far.

Sources said that on September 4, the youths of a neighbouring village had called the sisters on some pretext and given them sedatives. The sedated girls were then raped.

Their family members unsuccessfully searched for them on September 4 and 5. On September 6, Sunday, the girls returned home and narrated their ordeal, their brother said, and added that in the evening, both consumed pesticide.

The girls “took the drastic step as they had been mentally shattered”, the brother said.

“We took them to a local hospital from where they were shifted to NBMCH. On Monday night, we lost one of them,” said their brother.

Jalpaiguri SP Pradeep Kumar Yadav said charges under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act had been brought against those arrested and hunt for the remaining two accused was on. The trio have been sent to seven days’ police custody.

The body of the 16-year-old girl reached home on Tuesday. Trinamul leaders, including Rajganj MLA Khageswar Roy, met the bereaved family. “All involved in this heinous act have to be arrested. We want stringent punishment for them,” said Roy.