Aruna Chaddha’s Bail Plea Dismissed

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 New Delhi:  A Delhi court Monday rejected the bail plea of Aruna Chaddha, an accused in former flight attendant Geetika Sharma’s suicide.

District Judge S.K. Sarvaria dismissed the bail application of Chaddha, an official of the now-defunct MDLR Airlines where Geetika had worked. She was arrested Aug 8. “The apprehension of the prosecution that the applicant would tamper with prosecution evidence if enlarged on bail cannot be said to be baseless,” the court said.
Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, employer of Chaddha and Geetika, is the prime accused in the case. He too is in judicial custody along with Chaddha.
Geetika, 23, died on the night of Aug 4-5 at her house in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar area. Her two suicide notes named Kanda and Chaddha for harassing her and driving her to suicide. Both have denied the allegations. “Keeping in view the overall facts and circumstances and the likelihood of applicant (Chaddha) tampering with prosecution evidence, and also larger social interest viz-a-viz right of accused to be enlarged on bail, I do not find it a fit case for grant of bail,” the court said.
The court admitted that some factors leaned in her favour “keeping in view the fact that the applicant is a woman and investigation in this case against her is complete and she has to maintain her child and aged parents”.
The judge noted that the special public prosecutor had pointed out certain facts to highlight Chaddha’s conduct. She went with the co-accused to Dubai to put pressure on the victim to rejoin Kanda’s company.
Even after Geetika’s resignation in December 2011, Chaddha was constantly talking, persuading and putting pressure on her so that she may rejoin the company, the prosecution said.
The court said that it was not disputed that there were as many as seven prosecution witnesses from the MDLR company in which the applicant was working in a high position.
Chaddha said that the investigation was complete and the chargesheet had been filed by police so she should be granted bail.
“The accused is roped in this case by the help of Section 120-B (conspiracy) Indian Penal Code. There is no allegation that she has forged any document,” said Chaddha’s counsel. “It is argued that even if a prima facie case is found to be made out against the accused, still the accused is entitled to bail as investigation is complete, accused is a single parent of her child and has to look after her aged parents,” defence counsel said.
Criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, abetment to suicide, forgery and charges under the Information Technology Act have been slapped on Kanda and Chaddha, the prosecution said.

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