The Supreme Court will hear today a petition by one of the six December 16, 2012 gang-rape accused seeking transfer of the trial to a place outside Delhi. The matter will be taken up for hearing by a bench presided over by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir. 

The bench fixed the hearing after M L Sharma, the lawyer for accused Mukesh Singh, pleaded for an urgent hearing on the grounds that a free and fair hearing is not possible in Delhi because of the strong public sentiment against him. 

Mukesh, who has been charged with murder, gangrape and unnatural offences, submitted in his petition that in view of the regular agitation, police and judicial officials are allegedly under pressure to pass orders according to the demands of the agitators.

He referred to protests that are held regularly at Jantar Mantar where students and activists are calling for swift justice and tougher anti-rape laws. Sharma had earlier said that the statements issued by the Prime Minister, other leaders and officials, have given direct message to the judicial authorities about what they should do and how they should handle the case.