New Delhi ( CNN ) -- A lawyer who says he 's representing three of the five men charged with raping and fatally beating a woman on a New Delhi bus said Tuesday that he has advised his clients to plead not guilty . `` So far they have agreed to my advice , but a clearer picture will emerge by tomorrow evening , '' the attorney , Manohar Lal Sharma , told CNN . `` I fear they might come under pressure to change their mind . '' Sharma said one of those he is representing is Ram Singh , the main accused in the case . The other two are Mukesh Singh and Akshay Thakur , he said . The horrific attack on the 23-year-old woman in New Delhi on December 16 has prompted angry protests over the country 's treatment of women and handling of sexual attacks . India 's interior minister has said he was also working with security officials to strengthen laws regarding rape and assault following the attack , which also stirred outrage worldwide . Proceedings against the five adult suspects began Monday , when a New Delhi judge ordered the trial closed after tempers flared inside the packed courtroom . Some lawyers loudly criticized colleagues for offering to represent the suspects , with one young lawyer shouting at Sharma , `` You will not defend those barbarians . '' The magistrate , Namrita Aggarwal , ordered that the hearing take place behind closed doors and barred news outlets from publishing proceedings related to the case without the court 's permission , citing concerns about the suspects ' safety . The five men in court this week are charged with murder , rape and kidnapping , and could be sentenced to death if convicted . A juvenile court will take up the matter of determining the age of a sixth suspect , who claims to be 17 and therefore not old enough to be tried as an adult , CNN affiliate IBN reported . The female victim of the attack , whose name has not been released , died in a Singapore hospital in late December . Her male companion survived with a broken leg .
A lawyer for three suspects says he has advised them to plead not guilty . Five men are charged in the rape and beating death of a woman on a New Delhi bus . A judge ordered proceedings closed amid a tumultuous hearing Monday .