Geetika suicide: SC declines to entertain Kanda's bail plea

New Delhi, March 22: The Supreme Court today declined to entertain the

plea of former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda arrested for his alleged role in air hostess Geetika Sharma

case and asked him to approach the sessions court.

A bench of justices Chandramauli Prasad and V Gopala Gowda asked Kanda, who had moved the apex court after his bail plea was denied by the Delhi High Court on November 19 last year, 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 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.

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 Kanda and his aide Aruna Chaddah, co-accused in the case. They, however, had denied the charge. 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.

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

Earlier, the trial court on 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.

Kanda and 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.

PTI