Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi and his family have also been a part of the BBC docuseries “Death in Bollywood” that narrates the life and alleged suicide of Jiah Khan.
Khan committed suicide in 2013. In the aftermath, the Pancholi family faced allegations because Sooraj was in a relationship with her at that time. He was accused of several other crimes by Jiah’s mother Rabiya. He had to spend some time behind the bars, too. The docuseries touches upon the tragic incident that shook B-town. Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan maintained that it wasn’t suicide but murder, and that her war to seek justice hasn’t even begun.
Not to mention, the first episode, which was released in the UK has generated flak for Sooraj given his involvement. Here are some of the statements made by him, his sister Sana and father and former actor Aditya Pancholi, exclusively for the docuseries.
Sooraj Pancholi: I am not the person who has driven her to what she’s done. It was not me, there’s a bigger picture.
Sana Pancholi: They seemed happy together. He always showered her with attention. She was a very pleasant person to look at and be around.
Aditya Pancholi: Sooraj was charged for abetment to suicide. He got a bail and if you carefully read it, the order is almost like acquittal. I am just telling the court, please find out who the murderer is and acquit us from this abetment to suicide, because according to her (Rabia Khan) it is not suicide at all.
The CBI took over the probe from the Maharashtra Police in July 2014. Rabiya Khan had also sought a Special Investigative Team probe in the case which was denied by the HC. She then moved the Supreme Court but her pleas to intervene in the HC order were denied.
The case has been on-going for over eight years now. The CBI, however, concluded that it was a case of suicide. In its charge sheet, they said Pancholi should be tried for abetting the suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. Subsequently, the charge of abetment against Pancholi was framed by the court.
Jiah was born as Nafisa Rizvi Khan, a British-American who featured in films like ‘Nishabd’ alongside Amitabh Bachchan, and ‘Ghajni’ with Aamir Khan.
Source: Free Press Journal
