The family of Geetika Sharma, the air hostess who committed suicide after accusing former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda of harassing her, has alleged that the Kanda's lawyers had attacked them.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Ankit Sharma, Geetika's brother, said, "Yesterday was the date of our trial, where we had to stand witness for cross examination. When we reached the court, we found out that the judge was absent. Kanda's lawyers approached the bench and asked the court reader for a date in November, but I requested that we don't want a date so far in the future, and requested that the date for the next hearing not be later than September so that the trial doesn't get stretched."
At this point, Kanda's lawyers attacked him, claims Ankit.
"His senior lawyers R S Malik and Kapil Sangla started abusing me and my father. I said that I was not even talking to them, and that I was talking to the reader. As I said this, Kapil Sangla and another junior lawyer shoved me and I happened to fall inside the witness box. Then, they took off my spectacles and started kicking me inside the witness box," he told ANI.
Stating that no one came to help them, he added, "Right in the court, the accused goaded on his lawyers by saying 'maaro salo ko'. I was shocked because I couldn't believe that such senior lawyers could do such a low act inside the courtroom, right next to the judge's chair."
He also claims that the police has yet to file an FIR, saying, "We have given a written complaint to the police, but as of now even an FIR has not been filed. If I am not safe inside the court, then how safe am I outside?"
Geetika Sharma committed suicide in August 2012, alleging that Kanda had been harassing her sexually and in other ways.