Former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda Acquitted In Air Hostess Geetika Sharma Suicide Case

Haryana MLA Gopal Kanda has been acquitted by a Delhi court in the abetment to suicide case of Geetika Sharma, a 23-year-old former air hostess in his airline. Sharma died by suicide in the year 2012.

Geetika, a former air hostess, who was earlier employed with Kanda's MDLR airlines, was found dead on August 5, 2012 at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi. In her suicide note, she held Kanda and Chadha, who was then the HR Manager, responsible for compelling her to take the extreme step.

Geetika Sharma's suicide

Geetika's mother lodged an FIR for the offences under Sections 306 and 34 of Indian Penal Code, 1860, in 2012. Subsequently, Kandha was arrested on August 7, 2012 and Chadha was arrested one day later. They were released on bail later.

After the acquittal, Gopal Kanda said, "There was no evidence against me, this case was made against me and today the court has given its verdict.The entire thing was made up. Court order is in front of you, read it and you will understand." The lawyer who represented the former minister said that the prosecution failed to prove the circumstances under which the charges were framed.

VIDEO | "The court had cited some circumstances while framing charges against us. The prosecution failed to prove those circumstances," says lawyer of former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda, who was acquitted in a case of abetment of the suicide of former air hostess Geetika Sharma… pic.twitter.com/Pcxhr6xzb2
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 25, 2023

Kanda was an influential politician in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government. He was forced to resign as minister of state for home after an FIR was filed against him. He was also booked for rape, but that charge against him was dropped by the Delhi High Court in 2013. Months after Geetika's death, her mother Anuradha Sharma too died by suicide on February 16, 2013, leaving behind a suicide note accusing Kanda and Chadha of forcing her daughter to take the extreme step.

Kanda's name resurfaced in 2023 after his party -- the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) -- was mentioned in the list of 38 parties identified as constituents of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which was shared with the media by the BJP ahead of a meeting of NDA allies held in New Delhi on 18 July. However, neither Kanda nor his party members were part of the meeting.