New Delhi:
Protests are being held in Delhi today against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case last month. Protesters are staging a march from Rajghat to the Supreme Court demanding that the CBI appeal against Mr Kumar's acquittal.
The protesters also want a Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team or SIT to look into the 1984 riots cases and ensure that trials are completed within a few months.
On Thursday, three people were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court for their involvement in the riots. The CBI had sought death sentence for the three men - Balwan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal.
Two others, Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokkar, were given a two-year and a three-year sentence for rioting.
The court, on April 30, while acquitting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar had held Balwan Khokkar, an ex-councillor, Mahender Yadav, an ex-MLA, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal guilty of being involved in the killing of five Sikhs during the riots that had broken out after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in the case led to huge protests in Delhi. About 500 protesters blocked the high-security Vijay Chowk access to Parliament House in New Delhi earlier this week, forcing MPs arriving for the session to either turn back, or get off their vehicles and walk.
The protesters had earlier tried to march towards Prime Minister's residence, but were stopped at Parliament Street as they left Jantar Mantar. Many Sikh protesters shouted slogans against Congress president Sonia Gandhi as they held protest outside her home last Thursday.