Jiah Khan case: Arguments on framing charges against Sooraj to begin on Feb 12

Mumbai: A special women's court in Mumbai will start hearing arguments from February 12 on framing of charges against Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi who has been accused of abetting the suicide of model-actor Jiah Khan.

"The matter is kept for hearing (the arguments) on the charge (against Sooraj Pancholi) on February 12," said judge A S Shende before adjourning the case.

Earlier on Monday, when the special public prosecutor Dinesh Tiwari sought time to go through the chargesheet, the judge reprimanded him and said that he was prolonging the case.

"Already more than one month was given to you so that you come prepared. But you are still seeking adjournment. This is not the way prosecution seeks adjournment. How long will you prolong (the case)?," the judge said. Later, the court directed Tiwari to give an application for seeking adjournment.

25-year-old Sooraj, who is the son of Bollywood couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was present in the court on Monday. The actor, who made his debut in Bollywood recently, has been charged by CBI with abetting the suicide of Jiah Khan, whom he met through Facebook in September2012 and the friendship blossomed into "intimate relationship" over a period of time.

As per the charge sheet filed in a court on December 9 last year, 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 Sooraj's house in morning, where they had been staying together for last two days.

According to CBI, Sooraj had allegedly hidden facts and fabricated information during questioning. The forensic analysis of his statements, 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," the agency had said.

Sooraj had 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, sources had said.

CBI has alleged that a three-page note seized by Mumbai Police on June 10, 2013 was written by Jiah, in which she narrated her intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental as well as 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.

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.