Delhi rape trial to get under way

Written By Unknown on Senin, 21 Januari 2013 | 16.50

21 January 2013 Last updated at 04:46 ET
Protesters

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The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder: "More protesters are gathering now outside the court"

The trial of five Indian men over the gang rape and murder of a woman last month is due to begin in Delhi.

If convicted by the specially convened fast-track court, the men could face the death penalty. A sixth suspect is set to be tried in a juvenile court.

The case has shocked India and sparked a debate about the treatment of women.

The start of proceedings on Monday was delayed by discussions between judges and lawyers. One defendant is seeking to have the trial moved out of Delhi.

VK Anand, the lawyer representing Ram Singh, said the intense media attention in the capital could lead to an unfair trial.

"We are sure we will not get justice in Delhi," he added.

The other men accused have been named as Mr Singh's brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. The sixth suspect is thought to be 17.

Separately, the mother of the victim has condemned comments suggesting that her daughter was responsible for her fate.

She told the BBC that those politicians who had expressed such views were "sexist and irresponsible" and effectively endorsed such crimes.

'Extensive evidence'

The brutal assault on the 23-year-old woman has led to nationwide protests against the treatment of women in India.

Continue reading the main story
  • Some 1,200 fast-track courts were operating in India as of March 2012
  • In Delhi, six fast-track courts were ordered for the trial of cases related to crimes against women, especially rape. Some other states such as Punjab and Maharashtra are also setting up fast-track courts for this purpose
  • In 2000, central government started a scheme for more than 1,700 fast-track courts to try to clear the backlog of cases clogging up the Indian judicial system, partly related to a shortage of judges
  • Funding is an issue because the central government said it could no longer fund them after March 2011, leaving future funding decisions to individual states

The government has promised to fast-track future rape cases. Legal proceedings in India sometimes involve years of delays.

Six fast-track courts will be set up in Delhi to allow crimes against women to be dealt with swiftly.

Last week, another lawyer claimed that the men had been tortured and coerced into confessing they were guilty. Officials refused to comment on the allegations, citing legal restrictions.

Lawyers for two of the suspects have said they will plead not guilty. It is unclear how the other three accused will plead. Prosecutors have said they have extensive forensic evidence.

The victim, a physiotherapy student who cannot be named in India for legal reasons, and a male friend were attacked on a bus in south Delhi on 16 December. She died two weeks later in hospital in Singapore.

Campaigners are calling for tougher rape laws and reforms to the police, who, critics say, often fail to file charges against accused attackers.

The government has said that it will bring in stronger sexual assault laws and has established several committees to recommend changes in the law.


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