MDlR Airlines employee Aruna Chadha got a breather from the Delhi High Court on Thursday when charges of abetment to rape and unnatural sex against her were quashed. The court also held that the charges cannot be sustained against prime accused Gopal Kanda either, in the suicide case of airhostess Geetika Sharma.
“It is apparent that the additional sessions judge unjustly admitted into evidence the confessional statement made by the petitioner (Chadha) and illegally put the burden to prove the same on the co-accused (Kanda) and the petitioner, which is not permissible,” Justice GP Mittal said.
“The ASJ fell into gross error in framing charge under Sections 376/377 (rape and unnatural sex) against Kanda, which cannot be sustained. Since no charge against co-accused under these sections could have been framed, the petitioner could not have been guilty of abetting these offences,” he added.
The verdict, which came on the plea of Chadha, referred to her statement to police and held that except the disclosure statement, there was “not even a shred of evidence” to show that Kanda sexually exploited the victim and Chadha abetted in the commission of these offences.