Varanasi (UP), Apr 22 (PTI) The family of an accused in the Varanasi gang rape case and a woman claiming to be a friend of the complainant have raised questions over the allegations made by the 19-year-old survivor, claiming the charges are fabricated.

At a press interaction in Varanasi on Tuesday, the sister of Raj Vishwakarma, one of the accused, and a woman identifying herself as a close acquaintance of the complainant said they believed the charges were unfounded.

The friend alleged that the survivor had previously expressed frustration over restrictions at home and enjoyed social outings.  “She used to say she liked going out, meeting people and dancing,” the friend said. “She once came to meet me at a mall with someone and used my phone but didn’t stay in touch afterwards.”  She added that the survivor later stayed at another friend’s place, during which she again reached out briefly. “At that time, she didn’t mention anything about an assault,” she claimed.

The friend also said that the complainant had health issues for some time and suggested they were unrelated to the gang rape case.

Additionally, Vishwakarma’s sister claimed that the victim had spoken about wanting to marry her brother.

“But he wasn’t interested. After that, things became strained,” the accused’s sister added.

Police have not officially responded to these counterclaims, even as the investigation remains ongoing.

The case came under national spotlight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a visit to Varanasi on April 11, sought an update on the incident and directed authorities to act promptly and decisively.

According to the FIR filed on April 6, the complainant alleged that she was gang-raped by 23 individuals between March 29 and April 4 across different locations in the city. Police registered the case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions related to gang rape, assault, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

  So far, about twelve accused, including Raj Vishwakarma, Sameer, Ayush, Sohail, Danish, Anmol, Sajid, Zahir, Imran, Jaib, Aman and Raj Khan, have been arrested. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining suspects named in the complaint, according to the police. PTI COR KIS AMJ AMJ AMJ