The lawyer for three of the men accused of the gang rape and murder of a woman in New Delhi last month says his clients will plead not guilty.

Five men have been charged with kidnap, rape and murder over the attack on the 23-year-old woman in south Delhi last month.

The case has provoked such outrage that lawyers in the district where the case is being heard have refused to defend the men.

Now the lawyer for three of the men - the bus driver, his brother and another man - says they will plead not guilty to the charges.

Manohar Lal Sharma says the case must go to trial so that the evidence police have presented can be tested in court.

"We are only hearing what the police are saying. This is manipulated evidence. It's all on the basis of hearsay and presumption," he said.

A judge has ordered the proceedings to be held behind closed doors and the trial is set to be held in a special fast-track court.

Two of the other accused have reportedly offered to become witnesses for the prosecution.

A sixth suspect is thought to be a juvenile. If so, he will be tried in a children's court.

ABC/Reuters