A special women’s court in Mumbai on Tuesday framed charges against Hindi film actor Sooraj Pancholi, the son of actor Aditya Pancholi, for abetting the suicide of actor Jiah Khan in 2013, The Hindu reported.
“Sooraj pleaded innocence and the examination of witnesses will start from February 14,” his lawyer Prashant Patil told PTI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which had told the Bombay High Court in 2016 that Khan had committed suicide, told the sessions court that Pancholi had “hidden facts and fabricated information” during questioning.
Khan was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her residence on June 3, 2013. In a three-page unsigned suicide note, the actor talked of her “intimate relationship, physical abuse, and mental and physical torture” allegedly at the hands of Pancholi, PTI reported.
Pancholi was arrested on the charge of abetting her suicide on June 10, 2013. He was released on July 2, 2013, after the high court granted him bail.
The high court had transferred the case to the CBI after Jiah Khan’s mother Rabia Khan approached the court and claimed that her daughter was murdered. In December 2015, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Pancholi for abetting suicide. Rabia Khan then again moved the high court alleging the CBI had ignored crucial evidence.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!