Delhi Catholics protest, demand judicial probe

Around 1,000 Catholics protested outside the Delhi Police headquarters Tuesday and demanded a judicial probe, a day after a church in east Delhi was gutted.

The protesters also demanded security in Delhi churches.

Father Mathew Koyickal told IANS: "We want a judicial probe into the matter, and demand that security be given to every church, and the accused be arrested."

The protest began at 10 a.m.

He said no assurance had been given to them either from the police or government.

"We also want the government machinery to come up and act for justice of our people," he said.

Due to the protest, police stopped traffic outside the headquarters located at ITO.

The protesters, including women and children, raised slogans like "We want justice". They held placards with messages like "Pray and let others pray".

Ankita Parera, a student, said they will continue their protests till senior policemen assure them that their demands will be met.

On Monday, a Catholic church in east Delhi's Dilshad Garden area was gutted under mysterious circumstances. The caretakers of the church had alleged the involvement of some unidentified men in the fire. Police had not ruled out any possibility and have begun a probe.