2 Dec. 16 accused change advocates

Two accused in the December 16 gangrape case undergoing trial in a fast-track court here on Wednesday decided to change their lawyers. Mukesh and Akshay Sharma, two of the six accused who allegedly gangraped and brutally assaulted a 23-year-old woman in a moving bus here on December 16 last year, replaced V.K. Anand and Vinay Sharma with advocate M.L. Sharma who will now represent them in the case. Sharma was confirmed as their counsel by additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna. Sharma told mediapersons outside the courtroom that he was appointed as counsel by the judge after consulting the two accused and Mukesh’s parents. The advocate said he met Mukesh on Tuesday in Tihar Jail after his parents approached him. Sharma said Mukesh’s parents requested him to defend their son. He said that when he was in Tihar to meet Mukesh, Akshay also asked him to represent him in the case. Akshay was being represented by advocate A.P. Singh, who will now appear only for accused Vinay Sharma, while the fifth adult accused Pawan Gupta will continue to be represented by advocate Vivek Sharma. M.L. Sharma was initially appointed by Ram Singh, who allegedly committed suicide in Tihar on March 11, as his defence counsel. He was later replaced by V.K. Anand.

*** Molestation case accused refused bail Age Correspondent New Delhi, March 20

A city court on Wednesday denied bail to a government employee who allegedly sexually harassed a 20-year-old woman co-passenger in a moving DTC bus last month, saying the charges were “grave and serious” and the man had targeted the victim despite being old enough to be her father. Metropolitan magistrate Ekta Gauba denied bail to Devi Dayal, who had been charged under Section 354 A IPC which deals with sexual harassment, physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; or any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. Gupta was arrested on a complaint of the girl who told the police that she was travelling by bus number 970. The accused boarded the bus from Parliament Street and stood next to her seat. He started touching her indecently and did not relent even when she objected.