The Delhi Police have formally charged five men with the murder and rape of a young medical student in Delhi, whose assault and death two weeks later united the country in sorrow, anger and a determination to press for stronger laws to protect women.
Here are the latest developments in this story:
The Delhi Police filed its charges in a court in Saket.But because the police was late, the charge-sheet could not be given to a magistrate who is authorized to transfer the case to the fast-track court that is meant to hold daily hearings on this case. That process will now be handled on Saturday.
Six men have been arrested for gang-raping 23-year-old Amanat (NOT her real name) and hitting her male friend and her with an iron rod on a moving bus in Delhi. Charges against five of them include murder, gangrape, kidnapping, unnatural offences, dacoity, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy
The sixth man on the bus claims he is 17; unless a bone test proves otherwise, his case will be handled at a juvenile court where the maximum sentence would be three years in a reform facility. A lawyer who is close to the family of the student says he will ask for the juvenile to be tried as an adult. "Before he comes to know of his fundamental rights he should learn about his fundamental duties," said DK Mishra.
For the five adults, the police will seek the death penalty.
Large parts of the trial are expected to be conducted in camera to protect the privacy of the student and her family.
The Saket Bar Association has said its lawyers will not defend the suspects because of the nature of the crime, but the court is expected to appoint attorneys to defend them.
The evidence presented by the police will be testimony recorded by the student while she was critical in hospital, and the account of her male friend who was with her on the bus they boarded after watching The Life of Pi at a South Delhi mall
The attack wounded and shamed India, triggering public demand for tough new rape laws, better police protection for women and faster trials for cases of sexual assault. Students have led near-daily protests in Delhi.
After throwing her from the private bus, the driver tried to run the victim over but she was pulled away by her companion, police sources said.
A series of missteps by the government in its handling of public sorrow and rage over the student's case deepened the perception that it is estranged from the people. A committee of legal experts, headed by retired Supreme Court judge JS Verma, is reviewing criminal laws and will suggest what changes can or should be made for sexual assault cases. The team will submit its report within a month.
