A fast-track court in New Delhi was to begin hearing Monday in the trial of five men accused of gang raping and murdering a 23-year-old student, a case that sparked outrage and protests across India.
Judge Yogesh Khanna, who heads the special court dealing with crimes against women, was scheduled to preside.
Public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan was expected to present charges of murder, rape, kidnapping and other offences against five accused men, lawyers connected with the case said.
The trial would formally begin after the accused enter pleas.
Defence lawyers said their clients would plead not guilty.
The suspects face the death penalty if convicted. A sixth accused, who police believe is a minor, is expected to be tried separately in a juvenile court.
The woman was allegedly beaten with an iron rod and raped by the accused on a moving bus in the Indian capital on December 16. She died in a hospital in Singapore two weeks later.
The crime shocked the country and sparked unprecedented protests that put pressure on the government to improve safety for women. At the weekend, ruling party leader Sonia Gandhi promised that justice would be delivered in the case.
A defence lawyer petitioned the Supreme Court to transfer the case out of Delhi, saying ongoing protests and media coverage prejudiced the case against his client, broadcaster NDTV reported.
It said the court is expected to take up the petition soon.