On 28th April 2023, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai passed its judgment in the actor Jiah Khan Suicide case. As per the verdict of Mumbai Special CBI Court, actor Sooraj Pancholi has been acquitted in Jiah Khan’s Suicide case.
“Due to paucity of evidence, this court can’t hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted,” says Judge AS Sayyed, special CBI court (Mumbai). Judge AS Sayyad heard the final arguments of both sides last week and kept his judgment to be revealed today (Friday).
“We have spent 10 years exposing the truth based on factual evidence. Now, it is up to the court to draw the right conclusions,” said Jiah Khan’s mother Rabia Khan before the verdict.
But after the verdict, Jiah Khan’s mother said, though the ‘abetment to suicide’ has been eradicated yet the cause of suicide is still pending and I will continue to fight for this.”
People were not happy with the judgment and tweeted on the verdict:
A decade earlier, on June 3, 2013, Rabia Khan (Mother of Jiah khan) found her hanging from the ceiling in her Juhu’s house in Mumbai. On the basis of a 6-page suicide letter that was found in Jiah’s house, actor Suraj Pancholi (her then boyfriend) was arrested by the Juhu Police for ‘abetment to suicide’ under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 306. Written by Jiah Khan, letter described the relationship of Jiah and Suraj Pancholi and was the only piece of evidence against him. Sooraj Pancholi was out on bail in the case.
“If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.” – IPC Section 306
However, Rabia Khan was not satisfied with the investigation and appealed the Bombay High Court to transfer the case to the CBI.
