Geetika suicide: SC declines Kanda’s bail plea

March 22, 2013 06:52 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 11:12 pm IST - New Delhi

New Delhi: Former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda seen inside police vehicle,  accused in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, during a medical check-up at Babu Jagjivan Ram  hospital before being produced at a Rohini District Cour,. Kanda was sent to judicial custody till September 11  in  Delhi on August 28, 2012.Photo:Sushil Kumar Verma

New Delhi: Former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda seen inside police vehicle, accused in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, during a medical check-up at Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital before being produced at a Rohini District Cour,. Kanda was sent to judicial custody till September 11 in Delhi on August 28, 2012.Photo:Sushil Kumar Verma

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain the bail plea of former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda arrested for his alleged role in air hostess Geetika Sharma suicide case and asked him to approach the sessions court.

A bench of justices Chandramauli Prasad and V. Gopala Gowda asked Mr. Kanda, who had moved the apex court after his bail plea was denied by the Delhi High Court on November 19, 2012, to seek relief for the Sessions Court.

The High Court had dismissed his bail plea saying there was apprehension that he might influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence in the case.

While denying the relief sought by Mr. Kanda, the High Court had also taken note of the prosecution’s submission that prior to surrendering, he had destroyed material evidence in the case for which he has been charge sheeted.

Mr. Kanda had moved the High Court on November 1, 2012, against the September 20, 2012, order of the trial court which had dismissed his bail plea on the ground for need of further probe due to a medical report which had said that the victim was pregnant in March 2012.

23-year-old Geetika was found dead on August 5, 2012, at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi. In her August 4, 2012 suicide note, Geetika had said she was ending her life due to “harassment” by Mr. Kanda and his aide Aruna Chaddah, co-accused in the case. They, however, had denied the charge.

Mr. Kanda was denied anticipatory bail earlier by the trial court and the Delhi High Court after which he had surrendered before the police on August 18, 2012.

Ms. Chaddah is also in jail as she was denied bail by the high court on December 3, 2012.

Earlier, the trial court on September 7, 2012, and then on October 15, 2012, had denied her bail pleas.

She had sought bail on the ground that she is a single parent and has a seven-year-old daughter and also old parents to look after.

Mr. Kanda and Ms. Chaddah have been charge sheeted under section 306 (abetment of suicide), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (destruction of evidence), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery with intention to cheat), 469 (forgery with intention to harm reputation) and 471 (using forged documents as genuine) of Indian Penal Code.

They have also been booked under section 66-A of the Information and Technology Act which deals with hacking of computers.

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