The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a petition filed by an accused in the gang-rape case seeking transfer of the trial outside Delhi on the ground that he may not get a fair trial if criminal proceedings are allowed to be held in the surcharged atmosphere in the capital. A Bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices J. Chelameswar and Vikaramajit Sen directed the matter to be heard on Tuesday after M.L. Sharma, counsel for accused Mukesh, ‘mentioned’ and pleaded for early listing of the transfer petition. The plea sought the shifting of the case from the Saket court to Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, or to a court in any other State preferably in Coimbatore.
Counsel traced the sequence of events from December 16, 2012 when the gang rape occurred in the bus and the subsequent public outrage to argue that the atmosphere in Delhi was so surcharged that it was not conducive for a fair trial.