DU student gangrape case: Accused denies charges, claims consensual relationship

Lucknow: The prime accused in the alleged gangrape of a 19-year-old Delhi University student has claimed that he intended to marry the survivor and that their relationship was consensual, police sources said.Accused Shivam Yadav, 20, and his associate, Sunny Yadav, 19, who recently surrendered before a court, denied all charges during interrogation. Investigating officer Vinod Pandey recorded their statements after obtaining the court's permission.According to police, Shivam told investigators that he knew the complainant for a long time and remained in regular contact with her. He claimed the two were in a relationship and alleged that the matter escalated after some of the woman's relatives spotted them together at Charbagh railway station.Meanwhile, Lucknow Police have moved a court seeking a three-day custodial remand of the duo to probe the sequence of events, examine digital evidence and confront them with material gathered during the investigation.Investigators said the accused frequently changed SIM cards between May 19 and May 21 after learning that a Zero FIR was registered by the survivor in Delhi. "This was clearly done to evade tracking," a senior officer said, adding that both phones were eventually switched off after the FIR was transferred to Lucknow.Police teams have since been analysing call detail records, IMEI data and digital footprints, while conducting raids in Jaunpur and parts of Delhi.Earlier, a police team brought the survivor and her family to Lucknow for the reconstruction of the crime scene. She allegedly identified a rented flat in Sushant Golf City where the incident took place. A forensic team inspected the premises, collected samples and sealed the room.ADCP (South Zone) Vasanth Kumar Rallapalli said the survivor's statement before a magistrate has also been recorded. "The investigation is underway, and all aspects are being examined," he said.