Sikhs detained for bid to march towards PM's house

Police try to stop a Sikh protester as he protests the acquittal of ruling Congress party leader Sajjan Kumar of charges that he incited mobs to kill Sikhs during the country's 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi, Sunday, May 5, 2013. Kumar had faced a possible death sentence if he had been convicted of inciting a mob in the capital to kill a family of Sikhs in the violence that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. More than 3,000 Sikhs were killed during the riots. AP Photo

 Around 50 Sikh protesters were Sunday detained here for a bid to break barricades and march towards the official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

"The protest went on for an hour. They were taken to police station and later let off," said Deputy Commissioner of Police S.B.S. Tyagi.

Raising slogans against the government, the protesters started marching towards 7, Race Course Road, the Prime Minister's Residence from Jantar Mantar, both in central Delhi, around 1.30 p.m., police said.

Police put up barricades to stop them and around 50 protesters were detained when they tried to climb over the barricades, a police official said.

Police earlier restrained dozens of irate protesters near Parliament Street police station.

The Sikh groups have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since Friday, demanding justice for the riot victims and stringent punishment for Sajjan Kumar.

The Sikh groups are angry at the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar by a city court April 30 in a case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area during violence against Sikhs following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984. The court convicted five others in the case.

Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels | Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks