The CBI on Thursday has informed a special court in Mumbai that Bollywood Actor Aditya Pancholi will not be called as a witness in the actress Jiah Khan’s suicide case. Sooraj Pancholi, Aditya Pancholi’s son, is an accused in the 2013 suicide case.
The CBI is said to have considered whether calling Aditya Pancholi as a witness would strengthen or weaken their case against Sooraj. Aditya was removed from the list of witnesses because the agency believed he would assist his son and weaken their case against him.
So far, 21 witnesses have testified in court, including Jiah’s mother Rabia and Jiah’s sister. Another witness, a man who worked as a domestic helper in the Pancholi household, has been dropped by the CBI.
The case will be heard again by special CBI judge AS Sayyad on February 16, when a witness will be cross-examined by Sooraj Pancholi’s lawyer.
Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi is accused of abetting Jiah Khan’s suicide. On June 3, 2013, Rabia Khan, Jiah Khan’s mother, discovered her hanging in the bedroom of her Juhu apartment. Rabia had recorded her statement pointing fingers at Sooraj a week later, after which the aspiring actor was arrested by Mumbai police.
During its investigation, the Mumbai police recorded Aditya Pancholi’s statement. Aditya at that time had stated in his statement that he had gone to Jiah Khan’s residence after he learnt of her death.
The investigation was later transferred to the CBI after Rabia petitioned in the Bombay High Court, alleging that Sooraj Pancholi had murdered Jiah and that he should not be charged with mere abetment to suicide. The CBI reached the same conclusion, and a trial in the case began.
