Gopal Kanda gets bail in cheque bounce case, to remain in jail

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Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda has been granted bail by a Delhi court in a case registered against him and his brother Govind for allegedly evading court proceedings in a 14-year-old cheque bounce case.

Gopal Kanda, however, would continue to be in jail under judicial custody in the case lodged against him for allegedly abetting the suicide of 23-year-old former air hostess Geetika Sharma.

Gopal and Govind are named as accused in the case related to avoidance of court proceedings in the cheque bounce case. Govind is on interim bail in the case till October 31.

Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna granted bail to Gopal Kanda on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 saying he is unlikely to tamper with the evidence.

"Considering that there is no likely of tampering with the evidence, the applicant/accused is admitted to the bail on his furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs 25,000 with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of court concerned," the court said.

The court granted bail to Gopal also considering that he was 'an absconder in a complaint case under Section 138 NI Act and that he has already put in his appearance in the said case and the matter has been settled and he has been acquitted'.

During the hearing, investigating officer (IO) Inspector Ravi Kant and Public Prosecutor R K Pandey took opposite stands on Gopal's bail plea.

While the IO opposed the bail plea saying that Gopal was not available at his known addresses, the prosecutor said he has no objection if Gopal is given bail.

Seeking bail for Gopal, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta argued that his client is in custody for over a month in the case related to the avoidance of court proceedings in the cheque bounce case while he has already been acquitted in the main case.