Delhi advocate VK Anand is representing the main accused in the 16 December Delhi gang-rape, after urgings from his son, an IP University Delhi law student. The brother of the main accused is represented by activist lawyer ML Sharma, while advocate AP Singh is representing two other accused. Advocate Vivek Sharma has claimed he is representing the fifth accused.
VK Anand represented his son Vibhor Anand, an IP University Delhi law student, last year in his complaints against Arvind Kejriwal and Ramdev for their alleged derogatory remarks against parliamentarians, and in alleging sedition against lawyer Prashant Bhushan.
In an interview with Reuters, VK Anand, who claims to also run a charity for 24-hour free legal advice with his son, said:
They did not allow me to make an appearance in the court itself, they created such a problem for me, but ultimately I said it is the right of the accused person.
Just as the victim must get justice, the accused should also get justice. You cannot hang a person just because the public wants them hanged.
The son Vibhor Anand told Reuters that he had convinced his father to take the case, because it was important for them to be represented, however terrible the crime.
AP Singh, who is reported to represent two other accused, is the all India general secretary of the “Bhartiya Sampurn Krantikari Party” and claims to have offices in Hong Kong. He said about the accused:
When they approached me, I rejected their plea. But then they went and broke down in front of my mother. Upon my mother’s request, I decided to come forward and defend Akshay and Vinay.
Sharma, who had blamed the victim in an interview outside the Supreme Court last week after claiming to have been instructed to represent the five accused, said that he found it strange that the confessions to the police were identical, as if “somebody’s dictating it”, according to Reuters.
A hearing will be held today in the Saket district court.
Some advocates associations and individual lawyers have been applying pressure on their colleagues not to represent the defendants in the case.
Police investigations into the age of the sixth accused, who had claimed he was a minor, are continuing.
The Tis Hazari special anti-corruption court will also take up right-to-information-activist Vivek Garg’s plea for lodging a first information report against the Delhi transport minister, transport commissioner and others for allowing the bus on which the rape was committed to run without a permit, fitness certificates or driver’s license. [The Hindu]
Wall Street Journal interviewed Singh and Sharma on their means, motivations, “the plan” and “conspiracies”, and other things. [WSJ profiles]
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What a comment from one who cannot even disclose his identity and hides behind the façade of a famous singer...
In any case, the system would not have allowed them to be without advocates and would have appointed some competent ones from the DLSA Panel...
Except for Mr. Sharma's alleged comments against the victim in front of a tea kiosk outside the Supreme Court, I don't see anything wrong with the action of the above lawyers.
I would say they are more humane than those who become simply moved by the media trial. The model punishment wished by many and circulated in both print and social media takes us back 300 years and follows the tenets of barbaric Islamic jurisprudence. A barbaric act does not deserve a barbaric retribution. If we remember the Gandhian principle - An eye for an eye would make the entire World blind is equally applicable in this case.
Coming back to the case, I am sure that 'temporary insanity' and 'influence of alcohol' would actually play a vital role in determining their guilt.
In all likelihood, all were equally responsible and it would actually be wrong to put the entire blame on the adolescent as his punishment is less as per the extant laws. (Again a move to make changes would shatter the framework of our otherwise robust legal system).
I don't know about Vibhor (he's still a law student it seems), but am sure any lawyer would... just find a good one ;)
Wow! India needs more lawyers like you.
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