The relatives of the two businessmen, killed in the Connaught Place shootout 10 years ago, have sought the death penalty for the policemen who were held guilty by a Delhi court on Tuesday.

"I want the death penalty for them. The punishment should be exemplary," said Neema Goyal, wife of deceased businessman Pradeep Goyal.

Niranjan Singh, father of Jagjit Singh, said, "My life has been ruined and God will certainly punish the guilty. It was a deliberate murder and the culprits should be punished with death".

"No policemen came to us to admit their mistake during the last ten years. Instead, they called us terrorists," said Goyal's father Gyan Chand.

"We will finally get peace now. We demand the strictest punishment for them. We have full faith in the judiciary and hope that it will do the best," said septuagenarian Niranjan  Singh while trying to hold back tears.

"It was a fake encounter. Peace loving citizens were defamed and branded as gangsters by the policemen. They should meet the same fate as my son. For the last 10 years, we have to travel from Kurukshetra on each date of hearing," he said.

On October 24, the court will pronounce the quantum of punishment against the 10 policemen, including suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police S S Rathi, Inspector Anil Kumar, Sub Inspector Ashok Rana and seven others for gunning down the two businessmen on March 31, 1997.

Hailing the court's decision, Goyal's brother-in-law Deepak Gupta said, "Our family faced a lot of problems after the unfortunate incident. You know what happens when the bread winner of a family is lost.".

Singh's brother Gurumukh thanked the media and the judiciary for their support. "It would have been very difficult, had the decision been otherwise," he said.