New Delhi

Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda was acquitted in the abetment of suicide case of air hostess Geetika Sharma by a Delhi Court on Tuesday. The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi also acquitted co-accused Aruna Chadha in the case, saying the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond all reasonable doubt. 

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The accused were facing charges under various sections, including 306 (abetment of suicide), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 466 (forgery). The trial court had also framed charges of rape (376) and 377 (unnatural sex) against Kanda. The Delhi High Court, however, later quashed the charges under 376 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

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After the acquittal, Kanda spoke to reporters outside the court and said, “There was no evidence against me, this case was made against me and today the court has given its verdict”.

What was the 2012 air hostess Geetika Sharma’s suicide case?

Geetika Sharma was a former air hostess at Kanda’s MLDR Airlines. He was found dead on 5 August 2012 at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi. In her suicide note, she said she was ending her life due to “harassment” by Kanda and his aide Chadha. 

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Sharma’s mother had also died by suicide, the report said.

Initially, Kanda was charged with rape and abetment to suicide, with the charge of unnatural sex added later.  After the trial began in May 2013, Kanda and Chadha challenged the charges before the Delhi High Court, which, on 25 July 2013, dismissed the charges of rape and unnatural sex.

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In December of that year, the trial court initiated a new trial against the two solely for abetment to suicide.

Following the registration of the case, Kanda, who is the leader of the Haryana Lokhit Party and an MLA from the Sirsa Assembly constituency in Haryana, was forced to resign as minister of state for home. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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