Jiah Khan suicide case: Sooraj Pancholi hid facts, says CBI

Mumbai: Sooraj Pancholi, chargesheeted by CBI for allegedly abetting suicide of actor Jiah Khan, had hidden facts and fabricated information during questioning, the forensic analysis of his statements have indicated.

The analysis, which is part of charge sheet filed by the agency in the suicide case of 26-year old Nafeesa Rizvi alias Jiah Khan, has "established that Sooraj was concealing relevant information about actual reason behind the incident and the statement given by him is incomplete and fabricated," claimed CBI sources while giving details of the charge sheet filed before a special court here. Sooraj was also not willing to explain his last argument with Jiah, the sources said.

Bollywood actor Pancholi, son of actor Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, refused to be part of any scientific tests like polygraph or brain mapping which the agency wanted to conduct to get to the bottom of his alleged role in the incident, the sources said.

Sooraj, who made his debut in Hindi film industry recently, has been charged by CBI for allegedly abetting suicide of Jiah Khan with whom he had met through Facebook in September 2012 and the friendship blossomed into "intimate relationship" over a period of time, the charge sheet says.

As per charge sheet of CBI, it is alleged that on the fateful day of June 3, 2013, when Jiah was found hanging by her mother at her residence, she had left the house of Sooraj Pancholi in the morning where they had been staying together for last two days.

CBI has alleged that there were heated exchanges of messages between Sooraj and Jiah at 10 pm in which she accused him of telling lies about his meeting with a common lady friend. It is alleged that Jiah continuously messaged Sooraj which infuriated him so he deleted her BBM account from his mobile and switched off the phone at 10.20 pm.

The charge sheet alleged that Jiah tried to make contact with Sooraj and visited his bungalow. It claimed that she even called his cook but Sooraj asked him to convey that he was with his father Aditya Pancholi and could not take her calls, which was alleged to be a lie.

It alleged that later he received a call from Jiah, which lasted for 400 pulses in which there was again a heated exchange of words between the two. CBI alleged that he sent 10 messages to her in the night, which were abusive and accusatory in nature.

CBI has alleged that the three page note seized by Mumbai Police on June 10, 2013 was written by Jiah which narrated her intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture allegedly experienced at the hands of Sooraj, which led to her suicide.

It alleged that the letter was not signed and even not addressed to Sooraj. However, evidence on hand incriminates Sooraj only. The charge sheet claims that according to experts the letter explains Jiah's mental status and circumstances behind her extreme step.

The board of forensic medicines opined death is suicidal in nature, which corroborates post mortem done by Mumbai doctors. The charge sheet comes a fortnight after the session’s court here sought to know the status of CBI probe in the case after the Bombay High Court transferred it to them last year.

On November 18, Special Women's Court Judge A S Shende had noted that the probe agency (as per its earlier submission) had finished the investigations but "the charge sheet was still not filed." In October 2013, Rabiya had moved the Bombay High Court alleging that Jiah, her daughter, had been murdered and sought a CBI probe which was granted.