Fast track trial of five men accused of assaulting a 23-year-old medical student in a moving bus on Delhi roads will open on Monday. Accused riding a bus with tinted glasses picked up victim and his male friend from a Delhi road when they were returning from a movie. They brutally tortured and assaulted both and later threw them naked at a deserted place. Victims could not get help for almost half hour and condition of girl deteriorated. She later passed away in a Singapore hospital.
Attack on a medical student sparked countrywide protests and sociocultural debate in India. The Delhi Bus rape case received universal media coverage and brought a bad name to India. Delhi is often dubbed as “Rape Capital” because of increasing number of rape incidents.
Congress government also came under global criticism due to its slow response and use of force against protestors. Massive protests across India demanded justice for victim and better protection for women. Government has already introduced five special fast track courts to deal with crime against women in Capital city.
Fast track courts are aimed at dealing with hallmarks of Indian legal system i.e. corruption, incompetence and unnecessary delays. Accused in sexual abuse cases often get benefit of lacunas in Indian judicial system.
Fast track trial of this high-profile case will start on Monday as all legal formalities to shift the case to special case have been completed. Five of the six accused aged between 18 and 35 will appear before Court on Monday. Among the accused one is a bus driver, a gym instructor, a cleaner and a fruit seller.
Sixth accused in Delhi Bus rape case is said to be a juvenile and will face trial separately. There has been loud calls from different quarters for public hanging of all the accused. Lawyers representing the accused maintain that they all have been falsely implicated in the case. Police brutally tortured them to confession statements. On the other hand police claim that DNA tests have established that all the accused are involved in this horrific crime.
