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| Delhi gang rape suspects to appear in India court | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Five men accused of the abduction, gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi are appearing in court for a preliminary hearing in a case that has shocked India and caused an outcry. | |
| The case has been temporarily adjourned after chaotic scenes in the courtroom. The judge has ordered a closed hearing. | |
| The case is expected to be transferred to a new fast-track court for trial. | |
| It comes as four Delhi policemen have been suspended over the handling of another suspected rape and murder case. | |
| The father of a 21-year-old woman whose body was found on Saturday has told the BBC she was gang-raped. | |
| He said police initially failed to react when he reported her disappearance, suggesting instead that she had gone off with someone. | He said police initially failed to react when he reported her disappearance, suggesting instead that she had gone off with someone. |
| The case has triggered protests in the Delhi suburb of Noida, where the woman was employed in a factory. | |
| Two men have been arrested and a third suspect is reported to have fled. | Two men have been arrested and a third suspect is reported to have fled. |
| Outcry | Outcry |
| There could hardly be a more poignant place for this case to be happening. On the other side of the road from the Delhi court and the battalions of TV satellite trucks covering the trial is the cinema where the 23-year-old student and her friend watched the film Life of Pi on the evening of 16 December and then tried to get a taxi home. | There could hardly be a more poignant place for this case to be happening. On the other side of the road from the Delhi court and the battalions of TV satellite trucks covering the trial is the cinema where the 23-year-old student and her friend watched the film Life of Pi on the evening of 16 December and then tried to get a taxi home. |
| After being turned down by several rickshaw drivers, they boarded a bus they thought was offering a legitimate passenger service. | After being turned down by several rickshaw drivers, they boarded a bus they thought was offering a legitimate passenger service. |
| It feels a lot more than three weeks ago now, with the protests and angry debate her rape and killing has started in India. | It feels a lot more than three weeks ago now, with the protests and angry debate her rape and killing has started in India. |
| A wary police force spirited the five accused men into the court unseen - as a whole country now finds itself on trial. | A wary police force spirited the five accused men into the court unseen - as a whole country now finds itself on trial. |
| The hearing in the case of the five men accused of gang rape and murder was adjourned after chaotic scenes in court. | |
| The BBC's Andrew North, outside the building in the Saket district of Delhi, says the room was filled with arguing lawyers, police and watching journalists - but there was no sign of the accused, although they were believed to be still inside the courthouse. | |
| A row broke out after some lawyers volunteered to represent the accused and were shouted down by their colleagues, who said the suspects did not deserve representation. | |
| The Saket district lawyers' association has refused to defend the accused because of the outcry the crime has provoked. | |
| Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal ordered a closed hearing. | |
| "The court has become jam-packed," she told the court, according to the AFP news agency. "It has become impossible for this court to conduct proceedings in this case." | |
| The suspects were kept away from cameras as they arrived in a police van. | The suspects were kept away from cameras as they arrived in a police van. |
| A sixth suspect, who is 17, will be tried separately in a youth court. | A sixth suspect, who is 17, will be tried separately in a youth court. |
| If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty. Prosecutors have said they have extensive forensic evidence. | If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty. Prosecutors have said they have extensive forensic evidence. |
| The five accused have been named as Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. | The five accused have been named as Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. |
| Two of the suspects have offered to give evidence, possibly in return for a lighter sentence, Reuters news agency reports. | Two of the suspects have offered to give evidence, possibly in return for a lighter sentence, Reuters news agency reports. |
| The victim and a male friend were attacked on a bus in south Delhi on 16 December. She died two weeks later in a hospital in Singapore. | The victim and a male friend were attacked on a bus in south Delhi on 16 December. She died two weeks later in a hospital in Singapore. |
| Campaigners are calling for tougher rape laws and reforms to the police, who - critics say - often fail to file charges against accused attackers. | Campaigners are calling for tougher rape laws and reforms to the police, who - critics say - often fail to file charges against accused attackers. |
| The victim's father has denied weekend reports in a British newspaper that he wanted his daughter's name published. | The victim's father has denied weekend reports in a British newspaper that he wanted his daughter's name published. |
| He told BBC Hindi last week that he would have no problem with her name being used on a new law against rape. | He told BBC Hindi last week that he would have no problem with her name being used on a new law against rape. |