Support for sit-in seeking CBI probe into Ghaziabad killings

Former minister and Congress leader Satish Sharma's sit-in here demanding a CBI probe into the murder of a seven member family here got support Sunday from several trader associations and politicians.

Sharma, who launched the indefinite protest Saturday, is seeking a probe by the federal agency into the gruesome murder of businessman Satish Goel, 62, and his six family members May 21.

The Congress leader and his supporters accused Ghaziabad police of framing Goel's driver for the murder of the seven member family in an attempt to show that they had cracked the case quickly.

Sharma said that they would also protest Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's visit to Ghaziabad to distribute laptops.

Goel, his wife Manju, 60, their son Sachin, 40, Sachin's wife Rekha, 38, her daughters Megha, 13, and Neha, 11, and son Aman, 7, were all stabbed to death.

Traders organisations including the Vyapar Mandal, Sarafa Association, Rotary club, Brahmin Mahasabha and Vaishya Mahasabha came out in support of Sharma's sit-in.

Dharam Pal Garg from Vaishya Mahasabha and Dinesh Goel, an educationist who runs an Engineering institute-Raj Kumar Goel Institute of Technology and Science, staged a token sit-in and assured their support for the demand.

Apart from the Congress, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party also came and registered their support for the sit-ion.

On May 28, the Vaishya leaders plan to organise a 'sarva-dharma Sammelan' in Agresen Bhawan in which the leaders from across western Uttar Pradesh would participate, Sharma said.