Chautala's INLD observes shutdown over Kanda's involvement in Geetika Sharma suicide case

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) party, which is led by former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, observed shutdown here on Saturday in protest against former state Gopal Goyal Kanda's alleged involvement in the suicide case of former airhostess Geetika Sharma.

Kanda is a legislator from Sirsa town.

Some of the main markets of the town remained closed as INLD supporters protested against the delay in the arrest of Kanda.

While most of the markets remained closed for the day, several INLD activists took to the streets to protest as Kanda was absconding and the police had failed to arrest him.hey also pressed their demand for CBI probe of the suicide case.

"We demand a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into it, and Gopal Kanda is not above the law. His brother says that Gopal Kanda would surrender on Monday. But the Delhi Police is alleging that there is lack of cooperation from the Haryana government and they are helping him to flee. If they have any moral values left, then the Haryana government should ensure that he is arrested at the earliest," said R. K. Bharadwaj, a protesting INLD activist.

The police stepped up security with an aim to prevent any untoward incident from taking place.

"In order to prevent violence from occurring ad ensure that no one takes law into their hands, we have deployed adequate number of policemen and force has also been brought from outside. We have made adequate security arrangements so that peace prevails and there is no violence," said Vikram Nehra, a police station head.

On August 9, Delhi Police conducted raids at residences of Kanda in Sirsa in connection to the abetment of suicide of the former airhostess.

An eight-member team also raided Kanda's newly built school MDK international but left empty handed.

Kanda, who resigned from the state cabinet after he was named in a suicide note left behind by Sharma, has been absconding, and was not present when the Delhi Police called him for interrogation.

Police officials arrested another accused Aruna Chadha on August 8.

Chadha was the manager (human resources) at the domestic MDLR airline, of which Sharma was a former employee.

A search was mounted for Kanda, who had not turned up for interrogation in spite of the police summons, with police officials raiding a farmhouse owned by him, as well as the office of his MDLR Airline, in the National Capital Region (NCR) Gurgaon.

Geetika Sharma committed suicide on August 4, leaving behind a note accusing airline owner Kanda and a manager, Aruna Chadha, for harassing her.

Sharma's family accused Kanda of ruining her chances of working with the international Emirates airline, and pressurising her to remain with MDLR.

The incident had sparked mass protests in Gurgaon, where protestors took to the streets and burnt an effigy of Kanda. (ANI)