Jiah Khan death case: CBI court acquits Sooraj Pancholi due to lack of evidence

A special CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court in Mumbai on Friday, April 28 acquitted Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan death case. According to sources, the court has acquitted Sooraj Pancholi due to the lack of evidence. 

Jia Khan Death Case

Jiah Khan, a 25-year-old American citizen, was discovered deceased in her Juhu residence on June 3, 2013. After a six-page letter purportedly written by the Bollywood actress was found, Sooraj was later arrested and charged with abetment of suicide under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

The Mumbai police, who initially investigated the case, seized the note, which described Jiah Khan's alleged "intimate relationship, physical abuse, and mental and physical torture" at the hands of Sooraj, leading her to take her own life, according to the central agency. The case was transferred to a special CBI court in 2021 because the sessions court stated that it lacked jurisdiction over the case since it was investigated by the central agency.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier in court, Rabia Khan, the mother of Jiah and a key witness for the prosecution, expressed her belief that the case was one of murder rather than suicide. However, her petition for a fresh investigation into the matter was dismissed by the Bombay High Court last year. During her testimony, Rabia alleged that Jiah had been subjected to both physical and verbal abuse by Sooraj Pancholi. She also claimed that neither the police nor the CBI had obtained any legal evidence to support the notion that Jiah had taken her own life.

In his final statement to the court, Sooraj disputed the accuracy of the investigation and chargesheet, alleging that the prosecution witnesses had testified against him under the influence of Rabia, the police, and the CBI.