Delhi gang-rape trial: The fast-track court to hit brakes soon

In two-and-a-half weeks, when Delhi’s lower courts go on vacation for twenty days so will the fast-track court hearing the Delhi gang-rape case. Thus pushing the announcement of a verdict by a month, to possibly July. An impressive count of 78 witnesses have been examined and 621 pages of evidence recorded by the court since trial began three-and-a-half months ago on 5 February.[caption id=“attachment_806575” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Against rapes. Naresh Sharma/Firstpost[/caption] Since day-to-day hearings began, the fast-track court has remained closed (other than on official holidays) on two occasions - four days each time after the judge’s father and then his mother expired. After the examination of prosecution witnesses (80 in all) is completed, the court will proceed to record the statements of each of the four accused, following which the defence will call its witnesses. Prosecution and defence lawyers agree that the pace with which the trial has proceeded so far, given the number of witnesses that have been examined, is impressive. That is not to say everyone is pleased with trial’s pace. One of the defence counsels described pace as being “overly fast”. While the inability of one of the accused Vinay Sharma to attend the trial (his counsel was present) after his hospitalisation earlier this month, has so far not interrupted the trial, it’s progress now depends on him. The statement of the investigating officer in charge of the case, who is the prosecution’s penultimate witness, cannot be recorded in the absence of one of the accused since the officer has to identify each of the accused before the judge. If the LNJP hospital, where accused Vinay Sharma is admitted, is of the opinion that he is not medically fit to be produced in court, the trial will have to be put on hold till he is fit to be produced. Vinay Sharma’s illness continues to be a mystery as the results of the bone marrow test are still awaited. In medical reports previously submitted to the court, his symptoms were reported as high fever, chills, sore throat and oral ulcers. The hospital’s report on whether he could be produced in court sought by judge has not yet been submitted. The court today ordered that it to be submitted tomorrow. Accused Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh are on trial for the gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old student and the attack on her friend on the night of 16 December. The fifth accused, a juvenile, is facing trial before the juvenile justice board. One of the accused Ram Singh, was found hanging in his cell in Tihar Central Jail on 11 March.