India

Jiah Khan Suicide Case: Special Court Holds Pancholi Not Guilty Citing Lack Of Evidence

A special CBI court here on Friday acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, accused of abetting the suicide of his then-actor girlfriend Jiah Khan in 2013, citing a lack of evidence against him.

Sooraj Pancholi (32), who is currently out on bail, was charged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 306 (abetment of suicide). Jiah Khan’s mother Rabia Khan had been refuting the prosecution’s case that this was a case of suicide and claimed that her daughter was killed.

Also read: Jiah Khan Suicide Case: A 10-Year-Long Legal Battle That Will Finally Come To an End On 28th April

Lack Of Evidence

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge A S Sayyad on Friday said due to lack of evidence, the court holds Pancholi not guilty.

Sooraj, the son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was present in the court with his mother at the time of the verdict.

Sooraj was arrested in the case in June 2013 and released on bail in July 2013.

Jiah (25), an American citizen, was found dead at her Juhu home here on June 3, 2013. Police later arrested Sooraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by the Bollywood starlet.

In his final statement to the court on April 12, 2023, Sooraj Pancholi said that he had been booked in a false case and that he was the victim of false prosecution and persecution.

In that statement, he said he had broken down when he heard about Jiah’s death and said, “I had lost the most important person of my life and the woman whom I truly loved.”

Also read: ‘No Handshakes’ With China’s Counterpart, Rajnath Singh Retorts Over Indo-Chinese Border Dispute

Shruti Chaturvedi

Recent Posts

Hina Khan Hails 11 Years Of PM Modi’s Leadership; Highlights National Progress

As the nation marks 11 years under PM Modi's leadership, actress Hina Khan shares her…

2 hours ago

Subhash Ghai Hails PM Modi’s Transformative Vision For India

Subhash Ghai has praised PM Narendra Modi’s leadership for catalysing India’s growth and changing the…

2 hours ago

India & Central Asia Boost Rare Earth Cooperation At Delhi Meet

India and five Central Asian nations have agreed to deepen cooperation on rare earths and…

3 hours ago

PM Modi’s Beej Se Bazaar Tak Vision Reshapes Indian Agriculture

Prime Minister Modi has redefined Indian agriculture with the ‘Beej Se Bazaar Tak’ vision, transforming…

3 hours ago

EV Sales Cross 4% Mark In May; Signalling Steady Shift To Green Mobility

EV sales topped 4% of passenger vehicle retail in May 2025, signalling growing demand for…

3 hours ago

Self-Reliant Defence Industry Marks India’s Strategic Security Ascent

One year into Modi 3.0, reforms have reduced poverty, strengthened defence, and accelerated the digital…

4 hours ago