Haryana minister blamed for airline ex-staffer's death

A former employee of the MDLR Airlines on Saturday committed suicide after reportedly being harassed by her former boss and Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda to join back. In her suicide note, Geetika Sharma, who first worked as an air-hostess with the airline and was later made the director of its subsidiary, Supersonic, blamed the Haryana MoS for Home.

The police has recovered the suicide note and a case has been registered against Kanda for abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.

The victim's family alleged physical and mental harassment of their daughter at the hands of the minister.

The victim's brother said that the minister constantly pressured her to join back, even going to extent of making visits to their family.

According to DCP Northwest P Karunakaran, Geetika was working with the company for the past one and half months. However, she suddenly stopped going to office. "The management also called her up but she never went there," the DCP added. According to the family, Geetika quit the company to join another job, which too she left to pursue a degree in MBA.

The victim's brother further said, "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."

"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," he added.

Kanda could not be contacted for his comments.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was in Kolkata for a meeting, said he would look into the matter. "Ask me on investment, but anything else I will not answer here. I have come to Kolkata, I don't know what has happened, let me go back and find out."

Geetika reportedly hanged herself from the ceiling fan on Saturday night. A PCR call was made at 9:20 am on Sunday.