india

Updated: Aug 31, 2019 01:11 IST

A Class 10 student who was allegedly gang-raped in Bengal’s East Midnapore district on August 24, died at Kolkata’s state-run SSKM Hospital on Thursday night, losing a five-day battle against death. She consumed pesticide on Saturday night after she was brutalised by six people including her boyfriend.

The16-year-oldrape victim died close to midnight on Thursday. She was brought to SSKM after her condition deteriorated at a district hospital. Police have arrested four of the six people named in the complaint lodged by the girl’s father. Her relatives claimed that police were trying to shield one of the suspects, who is a brother of a civic volunteer.

The girl was called out from her house on August 24 by her boyfriend and taken to a nearby field, where he and five of his friends raped her. Her family members alleged that the rapists recorded the ordeal and threatened to circulate it if she spoke.

“We are going back to the village with the body (of the girl). We would block NH6 with the body and would agitate till the superintendent of police comes to the spot and promises arrest the brother of the civic volunteer without delay,” said a relative of the girl.

Police officers said they were doing their best.“We have earlier arrested Biswajit Patra, Samir Mandal and Sourav Dalui who were sent to police custody for three days by a Tamluk court. The fourth one is a minor who was sent to a welfare home,” said Kashinath Choudhury, officer-incharge of Kolaghat police station. “The other accused are on the run and we are looking for them,” said Chowdhury, who did not reveal their names.

“We were offered money and asked not to lodge police complaint. But what would we do with money if our daughter is not there,” said the girl’s father.

On Friday, an organisation working for women’s welfare and locals protested in Kolaghat.