Actor Sooraj Pancholi acquitted in Jiah Khan suicide case

MUMBAI: A Mumbai Special CBI Court on Friday acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi in the sensational Jiah Khan death case, in which he was charged with abetment to suicide.

The verdict came almost 10 years after Jiah, 25 was found dead in her Mumbai flat in Sagar Sangeet apartments, Juhu, around midnight on June 3, 2013.

Days later, Sooraj -- son of veteran actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab -- was arrested and charged with abetment to suicide.

An American citizen, Jiah was stated to be in a relationship with Sooraj who was then trying to make his mark in Bollywood.

She apparently left a note, which pointed the needle of suspicion towards Sooraj, who was later arrested in connection with her death.

In a major shocker for Bollywood, Sooraj was booked under IPC Section 306 for allegedly abetting Jiah's suicide, a week after Jiah ended her life.

Subsequently, the case was handed over to the CBI after repeated pleas by Jiah's mother Rabia Khan and directives of the Bombay High Court on 3 July, 2014.

In her note, Jiah had narrated her ordeal, intimate relationship, physical abuse, mental and physical torture she suffered allegedly at the hands of Sooraj.

The prosecution in the case had examined 22 witnesses, including Jiah's mother Rabia, while Advocate Prashant Patil appeared for Sooraj.