Kanda gets bail to attend Haryana assembly

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Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, accused of abetting the suicide of a former air hostess, Thursday got interim bail from a Delhi court to could attend the state assembly.

Additional Sessions Judge M.C. Gupta granted the bail till Oct 4 to Kanda, who has been in custody for the past 13 months. Kanda represents Sirsa in the Haryana assembly.

The court asked him to furnish a personal bond of Rs.5 lakh and a surety of like amount.

"He has to perform many obligations for his people. Funds for his constituency are unutilized. The public is suffering," Kanda's lawyer said.

Delhi Police had opposed Kanda's interim bail, saying there was reasonable apprehension that he would tamper with evidence.

"In February, there was a Haryana assembly session. When Kanda did not feel the need to seek bail for attending that session, why is he seeking it now?" the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said eight prosecution witnesses had been examined, and many of them were either his current or former employees.

Kanda and his aide Aruna Chaddha were accused of abetting the suicide of a 23-year-old former air hostess. The two have denied the allegations.

The suicide victim left behind a note accusing Kanda and Chaddha of harassing her. She committed suicide on the night of Aug 4-5, 2012.

Kanda has been charged with rape, abetment to rape as well as suicide, criminal conspiracy and forgery and under the IT Act for hacking computers and sending offensive or false messages.

He was arrested in August 2012 after he surrendered to Delhi Police.