Delhi gangrape-murder: In-camera trial to begin today, three accused to plead not guilty

New Delhi: The in-camera trial of the Delhi gangrape-murder case will begin on Thursday. The accused in the brutal gangrape of the braveheart will be produced in the court in the case which is likely to be transferred to a fast-track court. Also, the name of the defence lawyers for the accused would be announced on Thursday. The court had on Monday ordered an in-camera trial and restrained media from publishing the proceedings.

Three of the five accused in the case will plead not guilty to the charges and claim trial, advocates seeking to represent them said on Tuesday. Advocate ML Sharma, who appeared in the Metropolitan Magistrate's court on Monday and offered to defend the accused amidst protests from the Saket bar, has been engaged by prime accused Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh Singh and Akshay Kumar Singh alias Thakur.

Another advocate VK Anand, who had also showed up in the court wanting to be an amicus curiae, has also been engaged by Ram Singh. "They will plead not guilty to the charges leveled against them in the chargesheet. They want to face the trial," said Sharma and Anand echoed a similar stand.

In a hearing on Wednesday, Delhi High Court pulled up Delhi Police over the December 16, 2012 gangrape. The court came down heavily on Delhi Police after going through its status report on the heinous crime which was submitted in a sealed cover to it.

The High Court bench observed that the police report has the name of just one police officer - an Assistant Commissioner of Police - who has been suspended and does not include the names of other personnel who were deployed in the area where the crime took place. Observing that if right preventive actions had been taken at the right time this incident could have been prevented. It is the failure of the law enforcing agencies," said the court.

It also asked why buses and vehicles continue to ply with tinted glass and curtains in them, flouting a Supreme Court order.