Geetika Sharma suicide case: Delhi Court says possibility of committing suicide due to other reasons cannot be ruled out

New Delhi [India]: The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Tuesday while acquitting former Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda and one other in air hostess Geetika Sharma’s suicide case said that the possibility of Geetika Sharma committing suicide due to other reasons also cannot be ruled out.

The court noted that the prosecution has failed to prove the offence under Section 306 (Abetment of suicide) read with 120-B IPC that accused persons pursuant to criminal conspiracy had created such circumstances, due to which deceased Geetika Sharma had no option but to commit suicide and the possibility of deceased Geetika Sharma committing suicide due to other reasons, as discussed hereinabove also cannot be ruled out.

The court also noted that Geetika Sharma was friendly with accused Aruna Chadha and used to socialize with her. The friendship of the deceased with accused Aruna Chadha was not a casual one, as the deceased used to share her personal secrets with Aruna Chadha.

The court further took notice that during the evidence of a witness of a doctor in the month of March 2012, Geetika Sharma had come to her clinic on the reference made by Aruna Chadha for the purpose of abortion as Geetika Sharma was unmarried.

Therefore, there is a strong possibility that Aruna Chadha might be knowing about the person, who was having physical relations with Geetika Sharma.

The possibility of Aruna Chadha and Gopal Goyal Kanda disclosing this fact to the mother of deceased Geetika Sharma in a telephonic conversation on August 3 and August 4, 2012, respectively, being the well-wishers of the family or out of jealousy, which led to a quarrel between Geetika Sharma and her mother on her return from Mumbai on August 4, 2012 and thereafter, Geetika Sharma committed suicide, cannot be ruled out, noted the court.

Geetika, a former air hostess, who was earlier employed with Kanda’s MDLR airlines, was found dead on August 5, 2012, at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi.

The Special Judge Vikas Dhull on Tuesday pronounce the Judgement and acquitted both accused Gopal Goyal Kanda and Aruna Chaddha and said both accused persons are acquitted for the offence under Sections 120-B IPC read with 466/471/468/469 IPC and 66 IT Act, 2000 and under Section 306 r/w 120-B IPC.

A suicide note was also found naming accused Gopal Goyal and co-accused Aruna Chadha as the persons responsible for her death. She had said she was ending her life due to “harassment” by Kanda and Chadha.

Later, Kanda was forced to resign from his post of minister of state for home in Haryana following the registration of the case.

The Delhi Police registered a case against Kanda and Chaddha on August 5, 2012, after the police found 23-year-old Geetika dead at her residence in Ashok Vihar along with a suicide note.

The Police arrested Chaddha on August 8, 2012, while Kanda surrendered at Ashok Vihar Police Station in the early hours of August 18.

He was however granted regular bail in the case by the Delhi High Court in March 2014 on the ground that his aide Chaddha had been released on bail in February 2014.