Delhi rape suspects were tortured into admitting guilt, their lawyer claims

 
Bo Wilson10 January 2013

Three of the suspects accused of gang- raping and murdering a young woman in New Delhi were tortured into confessing, their lawyer said today.

Manohar Lal Sharma said his clients would be pleading not guilty to the attack on the 23-year-old and her male friend on a bus on December 16, which has sparked huge protests over the treatment of women in India.

He claimed police beat the men and put other prisoners in their cells to threaten them with knives.

The victim was raped, assaulted with a metal bar, and dumped at the side of the road. She died in hospital in Singapore two weeks ago. Today five men were facing court in New Delhi for the second time over the attack. If convicted they face the death penalty.

Mr Sharma will represent brothers Mukesh and Ram Singh, and Akshay Thakur. He said of one of his clients: “This 22-year-old boy was picked up from his village. He was tortured for 10 days. He was coerced into admission. He’s unable to speak now. All these people have been tortured badly. It’s under pressure that they have made statements in court.”

An Indian MP has been criticised for suggesting that the rape of adult women might be “understandable”. Ramesh Bais, a member of the opposition BJP party, was speaking about a separate case involving alleged rape of minors at a school in his state, Chhattisgarh.

He was quoted saying: “The rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable but if someone does this to an infant, it is a heinous crime and the offenders should be hanged.”

India’s ruling Congress Party criticised the remark. Spokesman Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said: “Assault on anyone is a heinous crime. The statement is objectionable and we condemn this.”

The five men in the Delhi case are charged with murder, rape and other offences. A sixth suspect, who is 17, is expected to be tried in a juvenile court and would not face the death penalty. Today the case is expected to be sent to a fast-track court. Under Indian law the victim remains anonymous.

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