Former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda has spent over 14 months in jail (File pic)
Gopal Kanda, a former minister from Haryana, who is in jail on charges of driving an air hostess to suicide, has been granted bail so that he can attend the state legislature.
The judge at a court in Delhi accepted the politician's argument that Mr Kanda, 47, needs to be able to look after the needs of his constituency of Sirsa. He has been allowed to attend the assembly session till October 4.
"He has to perform many obligations and welfare activities for his people. Funds for his constituency are lying unutilized. Ultimately, it is the public that is suffering," his lawyer professed.
Mr Kanda was jailed in August last year after the suicide of Geetika Sharma, a 23-year-old air hostess who used to work with an airline he owned.
She hung herself at her family's apartment in Northwest Delhi; her suicide note blamed Mr Kanda for harassment aided by his employee, Aruna Chaddha, who was granted bail recently. In February this year, Geetika's mother also committed suicide in the same apartment where her daughter had died; she too blamed Mr Kanda and Ms Chaddha in a letter.
"It is shocking that a man charged with abetment to suicide and tampering with evidence will now sit in the state assembly and we expect him to work for the people?" said Geetika's brother Ankit today, reacting to Mr Kanda's bail.
Geetika's family alleges that the former minister exploited and blackmailed her.