Kanda haunted Geetika to death: Charge sheet

The Delhi Police on Saturday filed a charge sheet against former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda and his associate Aruna Chadha on the charges of hounding 23-year-old Geetika Sharma to death.

The 1,020-page charge sheet has booked Kanda under sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 201 (destruction of evidence), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 468 (forgery for cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 471(using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of Indian Penal Code and Section 66A (sending offensive and false messages) of the Information Technology Act.

“It was filed in the court of the additional chief metropolitan magistrate D K Jangala, who posted the matter for further hearing on October 9,” a senior police official said, adding that they have “water-tight” evidence against Kanda. “The case has become almost clear. Kanda was forcing Geetika to join his company because of which she took the extreme step.”

Kanda, chairman and managing director of the MDLR Group, and Chadha were named in Geetika’s suicide note. Her family alleged that Kanda was harassing her.

Evidence against Kanda revealed that Geetika wanted to snap all ties with Kanda and the MDLR Group, but the latter was adamant on retaining her in the company.

Geetika is believed to have fallen prey to false promises and threats. “After questioning Kanda, it became evident that exploitation built pressure on Geetika. She wanted to leave the company, but Kanda was pressurising her against it,” the official said.

Kanda also faces charges of sending offensive messages to defame Geetika. He had allegedly sent a letter to the Emirates Airlines, where Geetika was working after shifting to Dubai in 2009.

In the letter, Kanda had stated that Geetika was absconding after defaulting on a loan and her track record in her previous company was not good.

The note was written on the official letterhead of a Gurgaon Police SHO. Geetika’s service was subsequently terminated by the Emirates Airlines. She returned to Delhi and rejoined the MDLR Group.

It was also claimed that Kanda and Chadha had visited Geetika when she was in Dubai. Kanda surrendered before the police on August 18, while Chadha was arrested on August 8.