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Synopsis

A Delhi court on Tuesday acquitted former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda in a case of abetment of suicide of air-hostess Geetika Sharma.

Special Judge Vikas Dhull of the Rouse Avenue Court also acquitted co-accused Aruna Chadha in the case, saying that the “prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond all reasonable doubts”.

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), 376 (charges of rape) and 377 (unnatural sex).

Geetika, a former air hostess, who was earlier employed at Kanda’s MDLR airlines, was found dead on August 5, 2012 at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi.

A suicide note was also found naming Kanda and Chadha as the persons responsible for her death. In the note, she had alleged that she was ending her life due to “harassment” by both of them.

Following the registration of FIR, Kanda was forced to resign from the post of Minister of State for Home in Haryana.

The police had arrested Chadha on August 8, 2012, while Kanda surrendered at the Ashok Vihar police station. Kanda was however, granted regular bail in the case by the Delhi High Court on March 2014 on the ground that the co-accused Chadha had been released on bail on February 2014.

Case Title: State v. Gopal Goyal Kanda & Anr.