Court summons former Haryana home minister in air hostess suicide case

In August 2012, 23-year-old former air hostess Geetika Sharma was found hanging at her house in northwest Delhi. Police found suicide notes, wherein Sharma had blamed her former Haryana home minister Gopal Goyal Kanda and his aide Aruna Chadha for her death.

A Delhi court on Monday summoned former Haryana home minister Gopal Goyal Kanda and his alleged aide Aruna Chadha — both of whom are accused of abetting the suicide of Kanda’s ex-employee air hostess Geetika Sharma in 2012 — on April 15. A year later, in 2013, Sharma’s mother Anuradha too committed suicide.

Gavel on desk. Isolated with good copy space. Dramatic lighting. (Getty Images)

The court also took cognizance of the charges framed against the two.

On perusal of the case file, the court noted that crucial statement of witnesses such as Anuradha’s son was missing from police files. The court has now asked the Union ministry of home affairs to take action against a retired assistant commissioner of police, who was the investigating officer in the case.

In its order, the court also asked the station house office of Bharat Nagar — where the case was filed against Kanda and Chadha — to find the missing papers.

During the hearing on Monday, the court observed, “It is pertinent to mention that in a suicide letter Anuradha had blamed Kanda and Chadha for her suicide. …In her second suicide note, she has imputed that she is dying because of the death of her daughter and due to accused Gopal Goyal Kanda and accused Aruna Chadha.”