Gopal Kanda is in a position to influence who forms government in Haryana after elections in the state threw up a hung assembly (Getty file photo)

In 2009, Gopal Kanda found himself in a position to play 'kingmaker' in Haryana after the assembly polls threw up a hung assembly. Then, Kanda, a successful businessman who made his fortune in Gurgaon's booming realty market, put together a group of independent legislators and helped the Congress cross the majority mark and Bhupinder Hooda become chief minister. In return, Gopal Kanda was made a junior minister in the Hooda government and given charge of home affairs, among others.

Then, everything fell apart.

Exactly ten years later, Gopal Kanda, now a disgraced politician who is suspected of abetment to suicide among a litany of other charges that cost him his cabinet berth, finds himself in a similar situation.

The 2019 Haryana election results declared Thursday threw up a hung assembly. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win 40 seats (ironically enough, that's the same number the Congress won in 2009). It needs the support of six more legislators to cross the halfway mark and return to power.

Gopal Kanda is where that support may come from. Kanda, who won from the Sirsa assembly constituency, has hinted at pulling off what he did in 2009 -- getting a group of independents to help the single-largest political party in Haryana cross the majority mark.

This possibility has left many horrified because of Gopal Kanda's controversial past that includes allegations that a car owned by him was used in committing a rape, that his security guards beat up a national-level cricketer and that Kanda harassed a young woman to the point of suicide.

And, it all begins with a 'hawai chappal to hawai jahaaz' story.

GOPAL KANDA: THE ORIGIN

Gopal Kanda's rags-to-riches story begins in the historical Haryanvi city of Sirsa. The son of reputed lawyer Murlidhar Lakhram, Gopal Kanda dropped out of school in the '80s and began dabbling in business.

With the help of his brother Govind, Gopal Kanda tried his hand at various trades. He opened a radio repair shop before moving on to a shoe showroom that turned into a footwear factory.

During his time in Sirsa market, Gopal Kanda made and cemented various political connections. These included the son of Congress leader Bansi Lal, who served as Haryana's chief minister, and Abhay Singh Chautala, a childhood friend of Kanda's who belonged to Haryana's powerful Chautala clan.

And then came along a powerful IAS officer with whom Kanda quickly cultivated a friendship. That officer was later transferred to Gurgaon, a transfer that would be the harbinger of Kanda's fortunes.

GOPAL IN GURGAON

Gopal Kanda's IAS officer friend was transferred to Gurgaon at a time when the city was dreaming of becoming India's 'Manhattan'. In the late '90s Gurgaon's realty sector was booming and land was being bought and sold at exorbitant amounts.

It was against this backdrop that Gopal Kanda landed in Gurgaon and with the help of his powerful IAS friend, who was posted at a senior level in the Haryana Urban Development Authority, began brokering land deals.

In the first decade of the new millennium, Gopal Kanda's fortunes grew. Kanda diversified, investing in fashion wear, hospitability and a casino. His business ambitions peaked with the launch of Murli Dhar Lakh Ram Airlines, or MDLR Airlines, named after his father. That airline would ultimately be Kanda's downfall, but not before the businessman turned politician.

THE POLITICAL PLUNGE

While Gopal Kanda was building and expanding his businesses, he simultaneously began nurturing his political dreams. For this, he returned to his hometown of Sirsa and took the help of his politician friends as well Tara Baba, a highly revered local godman.

Kanda's political connections eventually were not of any help -- in the 2009 assembly election, neither the Chautala clan's Indian National Lok Dal nor the Congress gave him tickets. So, Gopal Kanda contested on his own and used his assiduously built image of 'Robin Hood' and his association with Tara Baba to win the election as an independent.

As luck would have it, the Congress fell short in those elections and Gopal Kanda found himself playing kingmaker. Kanda leveraged a minister post in return for him bringing together a bunch of independents to help the Congress form government.

Gopal Kanda was made a minister of state in the Bupinder Hooda government. He was given the charge of home affairs.

THE DOWNFALL

From a successful business, Gopal Kanda was now a powerful minister. His clout grew. But, controversies would soon follow.

In 2010, a car owned by Gopal Kanda was allegedly used in a rape committed by men associated with Kanda. Next year, Kanda's security men were accused of beating up national-level cricketer Atul Wassan all because he had dared to overtake the minister's convoy.

Kanda escaped from these controversies unscathed and his reputation intact. The worst, however, was yet to come.

THE SUICIDE

In August 2012, a 23-year-old woman committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of her Delhi home. The woman was Geetika Sharma, who was employed at Gopal Kanda's now-defunct MDLR Airlines.

In a suicide note left behind, Geetika Sharma accused Gopal Kanda and an aide of harassing her. She accused Kanda of being a "fraud" and a "shameless" man with "bad intentions" towards girls who has "no shame and no guilt". She said she had trusted Kanda and the aide but that was now "costing" her her "life".

Later reporting revealed a murky tale of Gopal Kanda taking a fancy to Geetika when she joined MDLR Airlines, giving her out-of-turn promotions, taking her on out-station trips and ultimately pursuing her to the point that she left quit in 2010 and moved to Dubai.

Even there, Gopal Kanda allegedly used pressure tactics in the form of slandering emails sent to various Dubai officials to force Geetika to return to Delhi and rejoin MDLR. But tired of the harassment, Geetika ultimately committed suicide in 2012.

THE ARREST

Gopal Kanda became a wanted man after Geetika Sharma's suicide. The then minister initially went underground as police arrested the aide named by Geetika in her letter. Finally, in the third week of that August, Kanda surrendered to the police and resigned from the Haryana cabinet.

Six months after Geetika's suicide her mother too took her own life by hanging herself from the ceiling of the same room in which her daughter had killed herself.

The Geetika Sharma case made national headlines and left Gopal Kanda disgraced. However, over the years, Kanda denied all charges against him. He was charged with rape, abetment to suicide and other offenses in the Geetika Sharma case. The rape charges were later dropped.

In 2014, Kanda was released on bail and he went on to form the Haryana Lokhit Party which unsuccessfully contested that year's state assembly election. Kanda spent the next few years in political wilderness as the case of abetment to suicide against him wound up in courts.

Now in 2019, Gopal Kanda is back in the limelight and he finds himself in the same influential position he did ten years ago. Life may have come a full circle for Kanda, but this time around, his past may hurt his chances to be 'kingmaker'.