M A I N   N E W S

Kanda sent to 14-day judicial custody
Himani Chandel & Sushil Manav/TNS

New Delhi/Sirsa, August 28
Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, a key accused in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, was today sent to judicial custody by Rohini Court. Ordering 14-day of judicial remand for Kanda, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate DK Jangala said, “The accused is remanded to judicial custody till September 11” after the Delhi Police said his further custodial interrogation was not required.

Kanda was produced before the court after the expiry of his three days of additional police custody which was extended on August 25 after seven days of his custodial interrogation. He alleged that the case against him was politically motivated.

Kanda moved an application in the court seeking a separate vehicle for his transportation from Tihar jail to the court. Citing security reasons, he said he was a member of the legislative Assembly from Sirsa. Till recently, he was a minister in Haryana. He feared he could be attacked in a jail van.

Kanda’s counsel Somesh Arora supported the argument saying there is a strong possibility of a physical attack on him at the time of transportation from the jail to the court. The plea was accepted without any objections.

“Considering the security and safety of the accused, he is allowed to have a separate vehicle,” judge said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police called Geetika’s family members for further questioning. Geetika, who ended her life on August 5, had alleged in her suicide note that Kanda and one of the MDLR employees Aruna Chaddha were harassing and telling her to rejoin the former minister’s firm after she left the job.

In its efforts to collect evidence against Kanda, a Delhi Police team raided his establishments in Sirsa town last night. The team led by Praveen Malik, an inspector in the Delhi Police, reached Sirsa in three vehicles a little after 10 pm and went straight to Tara Baba Kutiya managed by the former minister and his family. The main gates of the ‘kutiya’ were closed after the team entered there. However, sources said the team went inside the sanctum sanctorum of the ‘kutiya’, where a “Samadhi” of the mendicant after whom the religious place is built is situated, and searched all rooms. The police party, the sources said, also went to Kanda’s palatial house and searched vehicles parked there.

The sources said the police party demanded Kanda’s laptop and cell phone from his kin which they denied saying they were not there. Later, the police went to Kanda’s farmhouse near Mangala village and conducted searches. The police party returned to Delhi after midnight. As soon as the news of Delhi police reaching Sirsa spread, a large number of persons started assembling outside the ‘kutiya’ in the hope that Kanda must be accompanying the raiding police party.