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Sikhs protest outside Karkardooma court

NEW DELHI: A large number of people staged a demonstration outside the Karkardooma court premises here on Thursday to protest the CBI’s “clean chit” to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case.

Members of the Sikh community started gathering outside the complex from around 10 a.m. for the verdict on the closure report filed by the CBI suggesting that the case against Mr. Tytler be cancelled for want of sufficient evidence.

Carrying placards demanding stringent action against Mr. Tytler and another accused, Sajjan Kumar, the protesters shouted slogans urging the Congress to withdraw their candidature for the Lok Sabha polls.

By 12-30 p.m., the situation seemed to be getting out of hand with the protesters breaching the first line of barricades put up by the police. Some even tried to enter the premises by scaling the grill. A woman, in fact, succeeded, following which some more protesters forced their way into the compound. They were later rounded up and escorted out of the premises.

Anticipating a violent turn to the protest, additional police personnel were deployed in and outside the court premises around 1-30 p.m. The crowed gradually dispersed after word came that the court had fixed April 28 and April 29 for the next hearing. However, they threatened to return and continue the protest until Mr. Tytler was punished.

Traffic on the adjoining roads remained disrupted for several hours.

The protesters, who included victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, accused the CBI of playing into the hands of the Congress party. Effigies of Mr. Tytler and Mr. Sajjan Kumar were burnt.

After the court hearing, H. S. Phoolka, counsel for the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, was manhandled by some men claiming to be supporters of Mr. Tytler when he was addressing the media. They accused him of not presenting the actual legal position. Mr. Phoolka said he would lodge a complaint with the Delhi Police Commissioner.

Later, supporters of Mr. Tytler disrupted traffic on the busy Talkatora Road after the Congress leader addressed a news conference where he announced that he was ready to withdraw his candidature if the high command so desired. Shouting slogans in his support, the protesters sat on the road holding up peak-hour evening traffic.

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