Three of the men accused of the rape and murder of an Indian student on a bus in Delhi last month have appointed lawyers and plan to plead not guilty, according to reports.
Five men and one teenager are accused of attacking the 23-year-old physiotherapy student, who was gang-raped on a bus on 16 December and died two weeks later of her injuries.
Two lawyers, VK Anand and Manohar Lal Sharma, offered to defend the five men when they appeared in court for the first time on Monday, despite the condemnation of their legal colleagues.
"I understand the sentiments of the people. But you cannot go by sentiments," Anand said. "The accused have a right to justice just as the victim has."
The five accused men are facing charges including murder, rape and abduction. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.
Anand said he would represent Ram Singh, the driver of the bus on which the rape took place. "There are many aspects. He has conceded some things and also talked about the role of others," Anand said. He declined to go into details.
Sharma said he would also be representing Ram Singh as well as Mukesh Singh and Akshay Thakur. He told the BBC his clients would plead not guilty to the charges.
The other two of the five accused men have yet to ask for legal representation, the lawyers said. The sixth member of the group, who is a teenager, will be tried separately in a juvenile court.
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