Woman mentions Haryana minister in her suicide note

A 23-year-old former woman employee of now defunct MDLR airline allegedly committed suicide at her residence in New Delhi and police on Sunday registered a case against a Haryana minister, who was the owner of the airline, on charges of abetting the crime.

Geetika Sharma, who quit Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda's company recently, allegedly committed suicide at her Ashok Vihar residence in north-west Delhi residence on Saturday night, apparently depressed over continuing mental harassment allegedly by the minister, police said.

Kanda is the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Haryana government.

"We have registered a case of abetment to suicide against Kanda and Aruna Chaddha, a manager with Kanda's firm," P Karunakaran, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West), said.

Police received a call this morning about the alleged suicide, he said.

In her suicide note, Geetika had claimed that Kanda was torturing her mentally after she left her job in his company and was pressurising her to join his firm again.

"She has written about the Haryana minister in the suicide note. It was written that they have broken her trust. They have cheated her. Due to these things, she was committing suicide," the DCP said.

Kanda could not be contacted for his comments.

After the MDLR airline became non-operational where she was working as an air-hostess, she was made director in one of the subsidiary companies owned by Kanda. She quit the job recently.

"When the airline's operation was suspended, Kanda offered her another job. She refused that offer and joined Emirates in Dubai. He then wrote a letter to Emirates making allegations against her character which lead to her termination," Gaurav Sharma, Geetika's brother, alleged.

"Kanda had told her that she has to work in his company only and that she could not work anywhere else. He used to spy on her and follow her. He used to call her and say that she cannot work anywhere else other than his company," Gaurav alleged.

Gaurav claimed that his sister, in her suicide note, wrote that her colleague Archana Chaddha and Kanda had breached her trust.

"I have believed these people, but they are not trustworthy. She has said that whatever has happened with her, it shouldn't happen with anyone else. To save herself from these circumstances, she took this step," Gaurav quoted from the note.

A senior police official said they were investigating the matter and will question the minister soon.