HC denies bail to Aruna Chadha

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of Aruna Chadha, an accused in former flight attendant Geetika Sharma’s suicide.

Justice Pratibha Rani dismissed the plea saying she will pass a detailed order later. Chadha worked in the now defunct MDLR Airlines where Geetika too was an employee. She was arrested on Aug 8 and the trial court rejected her bail plea on Oct 15.

Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, owner of the airlines, is the prime accused in the case. Geetika, 23, accused Kanda and Chadha in a note of harassing her and forcing her to commit suicide. She died on the intervening night of Aug 4-5 at her house in Delhi.

Charges of criminal intimidation and abetment to suicide were slapped on Kanda and Chadha after Geetika's suicide. Both are now in judicial custody and have denied any involvement in the suicide.

A court on Monday directed the Home Secretary of Delhi government to ensure expeditious investigation in Geetika Sharma’s suicide case in which former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda is an accused, reports PTI from Delhi. It also criticised the police for causing delay in the proceedings.

“A copy of the order be sent to Secretary, Home, Delhi government, the Director (Prosecution) and the Commissioner of Police with a direction to ensure expeditious investigation in the present case,” the additional chief metropolitan magistrate D K Jangala ordered.

The order came after the Delhi Police moved a plea under section 309 CrPC for expeditious proceedings. While examining the role of the prosecution in the case, the court noted that the Investigating Officer (IO) and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) had remained absent on several dates of hearing without any justification.