Jiah Khan suicide case: Sooraj Pancholi acquitted by special CBI court

Actor Sooraj Pancholi acquitted in the Jiah Khan suicide case

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai has acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was accused of abetting the suicide of Jiah Khan, on Friday due to a lack of evidence. Jiah, known for her role in the movie Nishabd opposite Amitabh Bachchan, was found dead in her Mumbai home in 2013 at the age of 25. Sooraj Pancholi was booked under section 306 (abetment to suicide) based on a letter purportedly written by Jiah a week before her death, in which she spoke about her troubled relationship with him and alleged physical and mental abuse.

Although Sooraj’s bail plea was initially rejected, he was granted bail after signing a bond of ₹50,000. The court subsequently acquitted him, stating that he was not accountable for Jiah’s suicide. Jiah’s mother, Rabia Khan, had requested a thorough investigation after the court’s decision, and the Bombay High Court later transferred the case to the CBI.

During the trial, Rabia Khan reiterated her belief that her daughter was murdered by Sooraj Pancholi, who was also accused of causing her depression. Sooraj’s father, actor Aditya Pancholi, filed a ₹100 crore defamation case against Rabia Khan after the case was transferred to the CBI. Rabia filed a fresh appeal last year to reopen the case, alleging errors in the prior investigation by the CBI, but the Bombay High Court dismissed her petition. In her plea, Rabia had requested a fresh investigation into the case by an independent and special agency with assistance from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).