The defence lawyer for one of the main accused in the Delhi gang rape case reportedly wants the trial moved out of Delhi, because they believe that the Delhi police are biased against them. The news came even as the trial was transferred to a fast track court. It added that proceedings in the sessions Court would begin on 21 January.
Media reports said that the lawyer for Ram Singh, believed to be the driver of the bus in which a 23-year-old medical student was brutally gangraped and killed, plans to petition the Supreme Court to shift the trial to another part of the country, on the basis that his client will not get a fair trial in Delhi.
Reuters
NDTV reported that the lawyer has sought that the trial be moved to anywhere else in the country except Uttar Pradesh, where the girl came from.
“The defence lawyers, while scrutinising documents submitted by the Delhi Police along with its 650-page chargesheet, have also claimed that some crucial statements are illegible and have asked for new copies”, the report added.
The defence claim for Ram Singh comes atop a statement by a lawyer for another accused, Mukesh Singh, saying that his client was beaten up by police, and adding that he had been falsely indicted for the crime because he came from a poor family and the police were under pressure to show results.
The case has sparked protests across India by women and men who say India’s legal system doesn’t do enough to prevent attacks on women. Women have told stories of relentless abuse — from catcalls to bus gropings to rapes — and of a police and judicial system that does little to stop it, often blaming victims’ unchaste behavior.
Hundreds of protestors gathered in Delhi once again on Wednesday, to mark the passing of a month since the horrific incident.
With inputs from agencies
