'Fugitive' Kanda outwits cops

The high drama that preceded Gopal Goyal Kanda's surrender before the Delhi Police in the early hours of Saturday continued in the court room later.

The high drama that preceded Gopal Goyal Kanda's surrender before the Delhi Police in the early hours of Saturday continued in the court room later.

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A group of supporters were raising slogans against the police on Friday midnight before Kanda reached Ashok Vihar police station, forcing the police to barricade the area.

The scenes were no different at the Rohini Courts complex where the police produced the former Haryana minister before additional chief metropolitan magistrate DK Jangala at around 4 pm. The courtroom was jam-packed and the police had to bolt the doors from inside to keep Kanda's supporters out.

The court sent Kanda, facing abetment to suicide charges in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, into seven days police custody. The police, however, had asked for custody of at least 14 days.

"Kanda, who was absconding for 10 days, is the sole source through whom we can collect all the documents and key evidence relating to the case," the public prosecutor told the court, seeking 14-day custody.

Kanda's counsel Ramesh Gupta opposed the police' plea, saying that his client was not a fugitive as termed by the police and he had surrendered willingly. He said the cops have already searched his client's premises and his office.

Left with little choice after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on Friday, Kanda surrendered before the police. A magisterial court had on Thursday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him.