New Delhi : The trial of five men accused in the fatal gang-rape of a young woman on a Delhi bus last month is set to begin in a special fast-track court in New Delhi.

The men, who have been charged with rape and murder, were brought to the sprawling court complex in South Delhi at noon. The court is expected to hear opening arguments by the prosecution and defence lawyers

A sixth suspect claims to be a juvenile and is expected to be tried in a juvenile court.

The medical student and her boyfriend were assaulted with an iron rod before the men allegedly took turns raping her, the police says. The couple was then thrown from the bus and managed to escape an attempt by the men to run them over. Amanat (NOT her real name) died two weeks later from the horrific injuries of her attack.

The barbarous assault prompted weeks of angry protests by thousands of people in Delhi and other cities, who demanded swift justice for Amanat, faster trials for rape cases and harsher punishment for sexual crimes.

A committee of legal experts set up by the government to suggest amendments to existing laws submitted its report yesterday. The commission, headed by Justice JS Verma, has asked for sweeping changes, but has not recommended death penalty for rapists. Instead, the panel suggests that the maximum sentence for rapists should be life imprisonment “which shall mean for the rest of the convict’s natural life”. Currently, convicts sentenced to life in prison are often released after 14 years in jail.

NDTV