Dec16 gangrape case:Convicts claim they were denied fair trial

Two of the four death row convicts in the December 16 gangrape case today contended before the Delhi High Court that they were denied fair trial in the case.
Appearing for convicts Mukesh and Pawan Kumar Gupta before the bench of justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani, advocate M L Sharma alleged that amicus curiae in the case was appointed by the trial court against the wishes of his clients.
Referring to an affidavit, filed by the convicts before the Delhi High Court, the advocate also argued that the trial court had ignored the affidavit in which the convicts had said that police had pressurised them to give consent for appointment of V K Anand as defence counsel.

He argued that police had been unable to produce any proof before arresting the accused in the case and added that the trial court has also failed to ensure fair trial of the accused.
The lawyer will continue his argument tomorrow.
Initially, the police had arrested six persons, including the juvenile. However, main accused Ram Singh was found hanging in his cell at Tihar, so the proceedings against him stood abated.
The juvenile was handed three years at the correction home prescribed under the Juvenile Justice Act. The adult accused Akshay, Vinay, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh were sentenced to death by a trial court in September.

On September 13, while awarding capital punishment to Mukesh, Akshay, Pawan and Vinay, the trial court had referred the case to the high court for confirmation of the sentence.