LIVE updates Jyoti Singh Pandey: Commentary and These Are the 6 Men Accused of Gang-Raping and Killing Jyoti

The Wall Street Journal has published the names of five of the accused men.  The alleged minor accused will not be named.  

Here are the details: 

Vinay Sharma - 20. Resident of Ravi Dass slum.  Works as gym assistant.  His lawyer is claiming Sharma was not on the bus that evening.  

Akshay Kumar - 24. Married with a young son.  Employed at a bus repair shop in Delhi after having moved to the city from the state of Bihar.  His lawyer also stated his client was not on the bus the evening of December 16th. 

Ram Singh - 33.  Bus driver. Also a resident of Ravi Dass slum. His lawyer V.K. Anand has stated that his client admitted to drinking that night and that the rape occurred on the bus that night.  Singh has not entered a plea at the time of this post.  His lawyer admits that Singh made a confession to police, however a coerced confession is not admissible in Indian courts with his lawyer claiming Singh was tortured by police.  He was found by the police on December 17th on the bus in question, wearing bloodstained clothes.  

Mukesh Singh - 22. Brother of Ram Singh.  Resident of Ravi Dass slum.  Also a bus driver.  His lawyer claims his client was not on the bus that evening and that Singh was tortured by police.  

Pawan Gupta - Resident of Ravi Dass.  Employed as a fruit seller.  He and Sharma were friends and were seen by Sharma's younger brother boarding the bus that evening.  His lawyer could not be reached for comment.  

Read more here. 

As a personal note: A cold reading of suspects' names and details can be detrimental to what India and those protesters are trying to achieve if stereotypes about Indian men and culture are furthered as a result. I feel the need to point out that naming the accused in this manner, in this forum, is not a comment or indication of that.  Yes, women's rights/rape/gender equality/male domination are issues in India, but by no means is the solution a one-sided one in which blanket statements are made.  Both women and men will need to be involved in a constructive manner in order for the country to move forward.  It's why we see men and women protesting side by side.  It's my hope that people will understand this is a heinous crime but is a reflection of a portion of society, just as it would be if it happened in their own country.