Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said the arrest of the remaining suspects has been paused till the SIT completes its probe
Families of several accused in the alleged gang-rape of a woman in Varanasi have claimed there are inconsistencies in the survivor’s account and have informed the police on Thursday. In response, a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)-rank officer, has been formed to investigate the case and look into both sets of allegations.
According to the woman’s complaint, she was sexually assaulted by 23 men at various locations between 29 March and 4 April. Based on this, police began searching for the accused and have arrested 14 people so far.
However, after families of several accused raised doubts about her claims, Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said the arrest of the remaining suspects has been paused till the SIT completes its investigation.
The Varanasi police chief stated that the SIT will submit a comprehensive report within 30 days. “No one — the survivor, or the accused — will face injustice,” he added.
Accused’s families memorandum
In a memorandum submitted to police, some of the accused’s families alleged that the woman had demanded money in exchange for removing certain names from her complaint. They also questioned why she did not seek help during the alleged assault and continued to post videos and photos on social media, where she appeared to be “laughing and roaming around”.
The accused’s families further pointed out that although the survivor initially named 23 men, she only identified nine during her court testimony, suggesting possible coercion or manipulation.
Investigators have said that CCTV footage purportedly shows the girl riding a bike during the time period mentioned in her gang-rape complaint.
Agarwal also confirmed that when police first found the woman, she neither mentioned rape nor asked to return home. “Only after a lengthy conversation with the officers did she agree to go back to her family,” he said.
