Jiah Khan suicide: Sooraj Pancholi acquitted of abetment charges

Jiah Khan suicide: Sooraj Pancholi, son of actor Aditya Pancholi, was arrested for allegedly abetting the death by suicide. (Image: Facebook/Sooraj Pancholi)

Actor Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted by a special CBI court in Mumbai on Friday in the Jiah Khan suicide case, nearly a decade after her death. The 25-year-old was found dead at her home in Mumbai in June 2013. Pancholi, her boyfriend, was charged for abetment to suicide.

Pancholi, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was arrested on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by Jiah Khan, and booked him for “abetment to suicide”. In the note, a deeply hurt Khan has written about the "trauma and abuse" suffered at the hands of her lover (not mentioned by name in the letter). Sooraj Pancholi was subsequently released on bail.

Khan’s mother Rabia, a key prosecution witness in the case, told the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court that she believed it to be a case of murder and not suicide. The Bombay High Court had last year dismissed her petition seeking a fresh investigation into the case.

Special CBI court judge AS Sayyad last week heard the final arguments of both sides and reserved his judgment in the case.

Jiah Khan is best known for her performance in Hindi film “Nishabd”, starring opposite Amitabh Bachchan for which she got a Filmfare Best Debutant nomination. She then appeared alongside Aamir Khan in AR Murugadoss's “Ghajini”, the Hindi remake of the director's own Tamil film of the same name. Later she appeared as a supporting actor in Sajid Khan's multi-starrer comedy film “Housefull” (2010). This was her last film.

Suicide prevention helpline numbers.