Background
Gopal Goyal Kanda was born on 29 December 1965 in Sirsa, Haryana, India. His father, Murli Dhar Kanda, is a lawyer in Sirsa.
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Gopala Kanda
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He was elected as an Independent representative for the Sirsa constituency in Haryana. His ancestors were market traders and his surname, Kanda, refers to the iron weights used by such people. He lived with his family in a two-room apartment above their shop.
A school drop-out, according to The Times of India he has been "Electrician, shoe shop owner, real estate broker, industrialist, car dealer, Tara Baba devotee, airline owner and politician".
In 1997, Kanda moved to Gurgaon where he went into the real estate business. INLD lost the 2005 general elections in Haryana and Kanda started building relationships with Indian National Congress (Incorporated) party leaders.
He supported the Incorporated led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the formation of government in Haryana. The Incorporated had 40 legislators and to form the government it needed at least another six.
Kanda was among a group of independents who decided to support Bhupinder Hooda as chief minister.
He was rewarded with a cabinet post and made Minister of State for Home in Haryana. He was facing court trial in ten cases at time when he was made the minister. Kanda is leader of the Haryana Lokhit Party.
In the Haryana Legislative Assembly election, 2014 he lost to Makhan Lal Singla of Indian National Lok Dal
Kanda launched MDLR Airlines in 2007.
MDLR shut down in 2009 and in October 2010 became a part of Emirates Airlines. Geetika Sharma, a former air hostess with MDLR, committed suicide on 5 August 2012.
She left two suicide notes. accusing Kanda of harassment. She also alleged that Gopal Goyal was "having an illicit relationship with another woman, Ankita, with whom he has a child".
Allegations have been made that before her suicide Kanda sent a letter to Emirates saying that she had been a poor employee and had defaulted on a loan, and her family said that he had sent her threatening e-mails using several identities.
Kanda has denied the allegations and stated that he had encouraged Sharma by sponsoring her on an Master of Business Administration course. He also said "She was also made the chairman of the trust which managed an international school at Sirsa."
Following the incident, Kanda resigned from the post of home minister in Haryana. Delhi Police took him in custody, with charges including abetting the suicide, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation, and sending false electronic messages.
Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said that his former minister not helping the police in the suicide probe is "unfair".
On 15 February 2013, Geetika"s mother, Anuradha Sharma also committed suicide. On 4 March 2014, Kanda"s bail was successfully argued by celebrity lawyer Kapil Sankhla after a charge of sexual exploitation was dropped by the Delhi High Court.
Politics
He uses his surname "Kanda" for political and religious purposes, while for business purposes and on official papers his name is Gopal Kumar Goyal. He later became a party worker for the INLD party and an aide to Om Prakash Chautala who became Chief Minister of Haryana in 1998 after the INLD won the elections.
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Quotations: "She was also made the chairman of the trust which managed an international school at Sirsa.".
