SC rules against transfer of Delhi rapists’ trial

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to transfer the trial in Delhi gang rape case to a place outside the national capital.

The petition was filed by lawyer M L Sharma who claimed to be representing one of the accused, Mukesh Singh.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir dismissed the transfer petition upon the receipt of a report from the sessions judge that the accused, on whose behalf the transfer petition was moved, does not want to be represented by Sharma.

The matter took a dramatic twist when another lawyer, V K Anand, appeared before the apex court claiming that he was the real counsel of Mukesh and his client had not submitted a plea seeking transfer of the trial outside Delhi.

During the last hearing, the advocates indulged in a verbal duel and began making claims and counterclaims about representing accused Mukesh, forcing the court to adjourn the hearing. The court asked the sessions judge to find out who the accused's actual counsel was.

Sharma had alleged that Mukesh is being tortured by the police and Anand was trying to create a hindrance in hearing of the transfer plea in the gang-rape case. On the other hand, Anand claimed that M L Sharma was no longer related to the case.