LI Network
Published on: 23 April 2023 at 20:20 IST
It’s been nearly a decade since Jiah Khan was discovered deceased at her residence, and a specialized CBI court in this area is expected to deliver its verdict on April 28th regarding the suicide case of the Bollywood actress. Jiah’s boyfriend and fellow actor, Suraj Pancholi, has been accused of abetting her suicide.
Jiah Khan, who held American citizenship and was 25 years old at the time, was discovered deceased in her Juhu residence on June 3, 2013. Following the discovery of a purported six-page letter authored by the Bollywood actress, police detained Suraj and charged him with “abetment to suicide.”
In 2021, the case was transferred to a specialized CBI court after a sessions court determined that it lacked jurisdiction, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had investigated the matter.
Rabia Khan, Jiah’s mother and a significant witness for the prosecution, argued that the case was one of homicide, not suicide.
Her request for a fresh inquiry into the matter was turned down by the Bombay High Court last year. Rabia testified to the CBI court that Suraj had physically and verbally abused Jiah.
Rabia testified in court that neither the police nor the CBI had gathered any “legal evidence” to support the notion that her daughter had committed suicide. Prashant Patil, who represents Suraj, reported that the final arguments on both the facts and merits of the Suraj Pancholi vs. CBI case had been made on Thursday. “We referred to specific landmark judgments from the honorable Supreme Court as well as high court to demonstrate how the current case does not qualify as abetment to suicide,” Patil explained. “The final verdict is now scheduled to be delivered on April 28th.”
Jiah Khan, known for her role in the Hindi film ‘Nishabd’ alongside Amitabh Bachchan, was discovered dead by her mother, having apparently hung herself in their home. Pancholi, the son of Bollywood actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, is currently out on bail in relation to the case.
According to the CBI, the note found by the Mumbai police, who first investigated the case on June 10, 2013, was written by Jiah Khan. The message described Jiah’s “close relationship, physical abuse, and mental and physical torment” allegedly perpetrated by Pancholi, leading her to take her own life, the central agency claimed.