Former airhostess commits suicide, case against Haryana minister

Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda today landed in trouble as Delhi Police registered a case of abetment to suicide against him after a former woman employee of his now defunct airline MDLR allegedly took her life accusing harassment by him.

Former air hostess Geetika Sharma, 23, who quit Kanda's company recently, allegedly took the extreme step at her Ashok Vihar residence in north-west Delhi residence, apparently depressed over continuing mental harassment allegedly by the minister.

Police received a call about the incident at 9.20am and found her hanging after entering her room through the ventilator as it was locked from inside. She was rushed to a hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Kanda, 46, an independent MLA from Sirsa, is the Minister of State for Home Affairs in Haryana.

It is alleged that Kanda was pressurising Sharma to rejoin his firm, which she had left recently to pursue MBA, a senior police official said.

"We have registered a case of abetment to suicide against Kanda and Aruna Chaddha, a manager with Kanda's firm," P Karunakaran, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West), said.

In her suicide note, Geetika had claimed that Kanda was torturing her mentally after she left her job in his company and was pressurising her to join his firm again. "She has written about the Haryana Minister in the suicide note.

"It was written that they have broken her trust. They have cheated her. Due to these things, she was committing suicide. She also named Chaddha in the letter," Karunakaran said. Kanda or Chaddha could not be contacted for their comments.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said in Kolkata that he does not have details about the incident. "I have come to know about this. I am finding out details...let me check the facts," Hooda said.

INLD president and former Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala demanded immediate arrest of Kanda and dismissal of the state government.

After the MDLR airline became non-operational where she was working as an airhostess, she was made director in one of the subsidiary companies owned by Kanda. She quit the job recently.

"When the airline's operation was suspended, Kanda offered her another job. She refused that offer and joined another airline in Dubai. He then wrote a letter to that airline making allegations against her character which led to her termination," Gaurav Sharma, Geetika's brother, alleged.

"Kanda had told her that she has to work in his company only and that she could not work anywhere else. He used to spy on her and follow her. He used to call her and say she cannot work anywhere else other than his company," Gaurav alleged.

He claimed that his sister, in her suicide note, wrote that her colleague Chaddha and Kanda had breached her trust.

"I have believed these people, but they are not trustworthy. She has said that whatever has happened with her, it shouldn't happen with anyone else. To save herself from these circumstances, she took this step," Gaurav said quoting the note.

A senior police official said the minister would be questioned soon.

Police is yet to question Kanda and Chaddha. "We will issue a summons to them," a senior police official said. A case under sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code has been registered against them.