Gopal Kanda granted bail in bounced cheque case

New Delhi - Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda was granted bail by a Delhi court in a case of ignoring warrants issued against him in a 14-year-old bounced cheque case, said an order sheet made available Friday.

Gopal Kanda and his brother Govind Kanda faced summons and then warrants by the Delhi court over a 1998 case when a Rs.4 lakh cheque issued by Gopal Kanda had bounced. The two had failed to appear in court.

Additional sessions judge Neena Bansal Krishna Oct 16 granted bail to Gopal Kanda on a personal bond of Rs.25,000 with one surety of the like amount for ignoring warrants in the bounced cheque case.

However, Gopal Kanda would remain in jail as his judicial custody was extended by another city court Friday till Nov 2 in a case of abetting the suicide of former air hostess Geetika Sharma.

A Delhi court Oct 10 extended till Oct 31 the interim bail of Govind Kanda, co-accused and brother of Gopal Kanda, in the cheque case. Govind Kanda was granted interim bail Sep 10 on a personal bond of Rs.10,000 and a surety of the same amount.

On the direction of a court, Gopal Kanda and his brother Govind, were declared proclaimed offenders for ignoring the warrants in the cheque-bounce case, which they settled out of court.

Police had registered a case against the two brothers for avoiding the court's warrants.

Meanwhile, another magistrate's court of Rohini courts complex hearing the Geetika suicide case Friday extended the judicial custody of Gopal Kanda and his employee Aruna Chaddha till Nov 2.

Gopal Kanda and Chaddha are accused of abetting the suicide of former flight attendant Geetika Sharma. Geetika was a former employee of the now defunct MDLR Airlines and other companies owned by Gopal Kanda.

Geetika committed suicide on the night of Aug 4-5 at her house in New Delhi. In her suicide note, she accused Gopal Kanda of harassing her and forcing her to commit suicide.

Gopal Kanda resigned as Harayna's home minister after being charged with abetting Geetika's suicide. Govind Kanda was arrested Aug 18 for helping Gopal Kanda evade arrest in the suicide case but was granted bail the same day by another Delhi court.