Jiah Khan suicide case: HC rejects her mother's plea to reopen investigation against Sooraj Pancholi

Jiah Khan's mother Rabia Khan has been denied the request to reopen the investigation into the actor's death. Jiah was found hanging at her Mumbai residence on June 3, 2013, after which her mother had accused her boyfriend, Sooraj Pancholi, of abetment to suicide. Rabia had filed a fresh appeal in the Bombay High Court to reopen the nine-year-old case, alleging errors in the prior investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Also Read| Jiah Khan had accused Sooraj Pancholi of abuse before alleged suicide: Mother

However, the Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed the petition filed by Rabia. In her plea, Rabia alleged that her daughter was murdered and sought a fresh probe into the case by an independent and special agency with assistance from the United States's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Her advocates Shekhar Jagtap and Sairuchita Chowdhary argued that Mumbai Police's preliminary investigation into the case also had 'certain flaws' and 'incorrect approach,' after which Rabia had moved the HC and the probe was transferred to the CBI in July 2014. However, CBI committed the same 'errors' and hence she is seeking a re-investigation of the case by independent agencies.

As per a report in PTI, a division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and M N Jadhav rejected the plea and noted that it has faith in CBI's probe in the case. CBI had charged Sooraj Pancholi with abetting her suicide and conducted an investigation. Advocate Sandesh Patil, appearing for the CBI, also argued that the agency has investigated the case fairly. The court also noted that the petitioner, Rabia, was weakening her own case by filing such a plea. Rejecting the plea, the bench noted that it would pass a detailed order later.

Rabia Khan had previously told a special court in Mumbai last month that Jiah had accused Sooraj Pancholi of physical and mental abuse a couple of months before her death. She said, "Both the agencies (police and CBI) never collected any legal evidence to prove it was a case of suicide. I believe it is a murder and the accused is responsible for killing my daughter."

Jiah Khan made her debut with Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Nishabd in 2007. The next year, she starred alongside Aamir Khan in Ghajini. Her cameo in the 2010 film Housefull marked her last on-screen appearance.