HC quashes charges of abetment of rape against Chadha

The Delhi High Court on Thursday quashed fresh charges relating to abetment of rape and unnatural offence invoked against Aruna Chadha, an employee of former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, in the Geetika Sharma suicide case.

A bench of justice GP Mittal also allowed the plea of Delhi Police seeking to expunge the adverse remarks made against the probe agency and the public prosecutor for not probing the sexual exploitation angle in the case.

The lower court had ordered framing of additional charges against Chadha under section 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offence) read with section 109 (Abetment) of the IPC.

Chadha and Kanda have been charged for various offences including rape, unnatural offence, abetment of rape, unnatural offence and suicide, criminal conspiracy, forgery under the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act for hacking computers and sending offensive or false messages.

The 23-year-old former air hostess, who was earlier employed with Kanda's MLDR airlines, was found dead on August 5, last year at her Ashok Vihar residence in North West Delhi.

In her August 4 suicide note, she had said she was ending her life due to "harassment" by Kanda, 46, and Chadha, 40.