A month after Khan’s passing, in July 2013, Pancholi was detained by the Mumbai Police and charged with aiding suicide.
On Friday, a Mumbai court cleared Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi of the accusation of aiding Jiah Khan’s suicide in 2013.
After holding the case for judgement on April 20th, special judge AS Sayyad announced the decision today. Lack of evidence led to Pancholi’s acquittal.
Khan’s mother, Rabia Khan, discovered her hanging from the ceiling on June 3, 2013. According to reports, the actress wrote a 6-page letter outlining her turbulent relationship with Pancholi.
Pancholi was detained by the Mumbai Police after being charged with aiding suicide based on the same evidence. The Bombay High Court granted him bail on July 1, 2013.
The probe was then transferred to a special investigation team (SIT) or the Central Bureau of probe (CBI) after Khan’s mother Rabia filed a petition with the Bombay High Court.
She argued that her daughter had actually been killed and not committed suicide.
The High Court gave CBI control of the probe in 2014. A special CBI judge was then appointed to hear the case. The case’s trial began in March 2019.
The CBI accused Pancholi of aiding suicide in its chargesheet submitted in December 2015 in accordance with Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.
In January 2023, Pancholi’s attorney Prashant Patil filed a motion with the special court asking for the witnesses to be called sooner rather than later.
He noted that the case had been pending since 2014 and that the CBI had only produced 14 witnesses. He said that Pancholi was suffering because of the trial’s postponement.
On January 21, 2023, while three witnesses were still to be cross-examined—two investigating officers and an expert—the trial was expedited.
SUBMITTED BY NEHA A. PARDESHI/4TH Year BLS LLB/TRCL