2 to plead not guilty in gang rape case
2013-01-08 16:12
New Delhi - Two of the five men accused of gang-raping and murdering a
23-year-old woman in a moving bus in New Delhi last month will plead not guilty
to all charges, a lawyer said on Tuesday.
"They will plead not guilty to all charges," ML Sharma, who says
he represents Mukesh Singh and Akshay Thakur, said. "Nothing has been
proven yet."
Mukesh Singh, who is the brother of the bus driver Ram Singh, and Thakur are
two of the five men charged with rape and murder over the 16 December attack on
the young student, which has fuelled fierce protests across India.
A sixth accused, who is 17, will be tried in a separate court for juveniles.
Officials at Tihar jail, the maximum security prison where the accused are
held, confirmed that Sharma had met the two defendants Tuesday.
Police earlier told reporters they have identified bloodstains linking the
men to the attack but the advocate said he would challenge police over their
handling of evidence, while refusing to give details.
The next hearing, to be held behind closed doors, has been scheduled for 10 January
when a magistrate is expected to transfer the case for trial in a special
fast-track court.
- SAPA
