E-Paper
Kanda lands in fresh trouble
Former minister allegedly helped local MLA murder 47-yr-old over personal rivalry in 2011.
As former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda evaded arrest for the fifth day in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, fresh trouble has been brewing for the tainted politician.
The widow of Krishan Kumar, a 47-year resident of Gurgaon who died in custody, will file a petition today in the office of the District Legal Services Authority for legal aid to move the Punjab and Haryana high court against local MLA and Sports & Youth minister, Sukhbir Singh, who had allegedly sought help from Kanda to murder Kumar.
The family of the deceased alleged that Singh acted in vengeance to settle score after Kumar had filed a case against him over fake votes. The deceased had been booked by the police in 2009 on charges of picking up a fight with a neighbour. He was later released on bail while the trial continued in a local court.
"On January 1, 2011, the Gurgaon police arrested him and produced him in court though a hearing for the same case was pending on February 1, 2011. He was sent to judicial custody at about 11am by the local court and taken to a Gurgaon jail around 5pm. The same day, at 6pm, we were informed that he had died in the jail. He was brought dead to the Civil Hospital," said OP Kataria, brother of the deceased.
He alleged that the Singh, with the help of the then state home minister Gopal Kanda, got his brother arrested illegally and murdered him in judicial custody. The family had moved the local court earlier after it received legal aid. The court had, however, dismissed the case on May 20, 2011.
Singh, on the other hand, has denied the allegations and termed the recent developments a result of political rivalry.
Kanda is still untraceable and on the run, police say.
