Jiah Khan Suicide Case Update: Legal Trouble for actor Sooraj Pancholi

The suicide of young actress Jiah Khan shook the industry in 2013 for which Jiah's then-boyfriend actor Sooraj Pancholi was held accused. However, no final judgment has been passed in this case.

However, yesterday a sessions court in Mumbai framed charges against Sooraj Pancholi in this murder case.  Sooraj has been charged with 'abetment to suicide' for the death of Jiah Khan in 2013. The actor has been charged under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code to which Sooraj has pleaded not guilty.

"Sooraj pleaded innocence and the examination of witnesses will start from February 14", his lawyer Prashant Patil told IANS.

Jiah was found hanging at her Juhu apartment on June 3. Initially, the case was suspected to be a suicide unless when Jiah's mother Rabiya Khan in October had moved to the Bombay High Court stating that her daughter had been murdered by boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi. A CIB probe was granted to Rabiya.

According to the CBI report, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, Sooraj Pancholi had hidden facts and fabricated information during questioning. So much so that the actor even refused to undergo polygraph or brain-mapping tests which the CBI wanted to conduct to get to the bottom of his alleged role in the incident.

When Hindustan Times contacted Sooraj's father Aditya Pancholi to comment on this scenario, he stated, "We are very happy [that the trial is beginning]. We have been waiting for this day for the past four-and-a-half years. Now the real trial begins, now we will fight the actual fight. If we are guilty, Sooraj will be punished; and if we are not, then Sooraj will be set free".

The actor has also claimed that Rabiya Khan wasn't letting the case move forward and with this trial, his family is relieved and can achieve closure now, as expressed to HT.