'Amanat' case: after chaos in court, judge orders in-camera trial

The judge in a South Delhi court has
ordered an in-camera trial for the five
men accused of raping and murdering a
physiotherapy student on a bus in Delhi.
There was drama through today in the
court after the men were brought to the
court complex in Saket in a large police
van. Till 2 pm, they had not been brought
into the court-room. Proceedings are now
expected to start at 2:45 pm after the
judge agreed to the public prosecutor's
request for an in-camera trial. The public
prosecutor had cited a "threat to the
under-trials."
The proceedings till then were marred by
chaos as lawyers sporadically shouted
against an advocate who has volunteered
to defend the accused, describing him as
a publicity seeker. The Saket Bar
Association had said none of its members
would defend the man accused of the
crime that united India in anger and grief,
corroborated by large protests in cities
like Delhi.
ML Sharma, a lawyer, said the families of
the accused men had approached him to
defend them. The judge today said he
would not be allowed to meet the
accused on the court premises and could
go to Tihar Jail to sign the
'vakalatnama' (contract with the lawyer)
The accused are expected be given copies
of the chargesheet. Once the defence
counsel has been appointed and he goes
through the charges, the case can then be
shifted to a special fast-track court, that is
expected to hold daily hearings.
The police has said it has forensic
evidence to establish their guilt. The
defendants could face the death penalty
if convicted.
A sixth man who was on the bus, who is
17, is to be tried in a separate court for
juveniles. The police says he was the
most depraved of the group.
Police have pledged 'maximum security'
during the hearing at the court amid fears
for the defendants' safety. A man was
arrested last week as he allegedly tried to
plant a crude bomb near the home of one
of the men.
On December 16, the student and her
boyfriend watched a movie at a South
Delhi mall. They then boarded a school
bus that was running illegally at night. The
driver, according to the police, had
decided to go for "a joyride" with his
friends. The couple were led to believe
the school bus was a private or chartered
bus, hundreds of which operate in Delhi
to compensate for thin public transport.
Once they boarded the bus, the six men
allegedly hit them with an iron rod before
taking turns to rape the young woman.
The pair were then thrown out of the
moving vehicle.
"The blood of the victim tallied with the
stains found on the clothes of the
accused," said Rajiv Mohan, part of the
prosecution team, said on Saturday in
court.