New Delhi: Newly elected Haryana MLA Gopal Goyal Kanda has emerged as one of the biggest newsmakers of this election season.
Facing two abetment-to-suicide cases and multiple allegations of bounced cheques and cheating, Kanda has offered support for government formation to the BJP, which is six seats short of a majority in the state.
It’s the same party that had protested against him when the abetment-to-suicide case was filed in 2012 — at the time, he was an Independent MLA supporting the then Congress government and was the junior state minister for home.
The BJP had then slammed the Congress for giving a “criminal” a cabinet position. Now, it finds itself seeking the support of the same politician even as the trial against him continues.
Two abetment-to-suicide cases
On 5 August 2012, Geetika Sharma, an airhostess who had worked with Kanda’s now-defunct MDLR Airlines, committed suicide at her Delhi home.
In a suicide note, she accused Kanda and one of his aides of “misusing me for their benefit” and “taking advantage of me”.
She also accused Kanda of “ruining my life” and trying to “sabotage my family”.
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Kanda was jailed for a year-and-a-half and granted bail in March 2014 after the charge of rape was dropped by the Delhi High Court. He continues to face trial in the suicide case, which is now in the evidence stage in a trial court. The charges he faces include destruction of evidence.
He is also an accused in the suicide of Geetika’s mother Anuradha, who committed suicide six months after her daughter. In two suicides notes, she blamed Kanda for “ruining my family”.
Delhi Police filed a cancellation report in the case this March, with assistant commissioner of police Jawahar Singh, who was handling the investigation, claiming that statements of the complainant, relatives and Anuradha’s son were not traceable. The court slammed police for “deliberately” diluting the case and also asked for action against the errant official.
The court then directed police to trace and place the statements of the witnesses on record.
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Case under IT ACT
In August 2012, Delhi Police booked Kanda under the Information Technology (IT) Act for allegedly sending a forged email to Geetika’s then employer, Emirates airline, to get her fired.
Geetika’s family alleged that, in the email, Kanda said her character was questionable and she was involved in a case cheating case.
According to them, Kanda also forged a lookout notice in her name and attached it in the email.
Delhi Police have invoked Section 66(A) of the IT Act against Kanda, which pertains to sending information that is “grossly offensive or has menacing character or false or to deceive or to mislead”.
This case, too, is at a trial stage. Documents recovered from Kanda’s residence during a raid are currently being examined.
Cases of fraud
In August 2012, Delhi Police registered a case of alleged fraud, criminal breach of trust and cheating against Kanda
The case was registered on a complaint that a company owned by Kanda had not returned a sum of Rs 1.68 lakh paid as advance for air tickets.
The case is under trial and the statements of parties are being recorded.
In September 2018, Kanda was booked by the economic offences wing of Delhi Police in another case of alleged cheating. It was triggered by a complaint of pending dues, filed by a company he was previously associated with.
According to police, Kanda currently has over six cases of bounced cheques against him.
These include four cases filed by Cosmo Builders Pvt Limited against Believe Constructions Pvt Ltd, where Kanda served as director. The cases are pending trial.
Two more cases were lodged by Chavan Rishi Pvt Limited and BCL Securities and Jewellers against Nageshwar Builders Pvt Ltd, where Kanda was a director.
Another two cases were lodged against Witness Construction Pvt Ltd, where Kanda was an authorised signatory. The allegation here is non-payment of dues.
In 2012, Kanda and his wife were let off in a case of alleged income tax evasion to the tune of Rs 40 crore.
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