Indians protest against the recent gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman. (File photo)
Two of the five men accused of the gang-rape and subsequent murdering of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi are to plead not guilty, a lawyer says.
On Tuesday, M.L. Sharma representing Mukesh Singh and Akshay Thakur said his clients “will plead not guilty to all charges,” adding that “nothing has been proven yet.”
The five men showed up in court in the Saket district of Delhi on Monday, and were handed the full list of charges against them. The charges include abduction, rape, and murder, which could bring them the death penalty.
The suspects, who are all residents of New Delhi, have been identified as Ram Singh, Mukesh Singh, Vijay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, and Pawan Gupta.
A sixth suspect, who is 17 years old, will be tried separately at a juvenile court if it is confirmed he is a minor.
The victim, a medical student, was gang-raped and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi on December 16, 2012.
She later died of brain damage and massive internal injuries at a hospital in Singapore on December 29, 2012.
The horrific nature of the crime shocked Indians, who thronged the streets, demanding protection for women and capital punishment for rape, which currently carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
SZH/PKH
