It was one of the most pioneering days for Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi, as it was the day of the final verdict in the ongoing Jiah Khan suicide case. After a decade Pancholi and his family breathed a sigh of relief when a special CBI court acquitted Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was the prime accused in this case.
The verdict
On Friday, Pancholi was found not guilty, citing a lack of evidence against him. "Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted," said Judge AS Sayyed of the special CBI court in Mumbai.
Sooraj reacts
Soon after a huge court relief in the Jiah Khan suicide case, actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was Jiah's boyfriend and accused of abetting her drastic step, shared a picture thanking the almighty on his Instagram stories.
"The truth always wins," the 32-year-old posted on his official Instagram account, with the hashtag 'GodIsGreat' coupled with praying hands and a heart emoji.
The actor's spokesperson has shared an official quote by Sooraj Pancholi.
The actor recounts the turmoil and mental pain he and his family had to go through in these 10 long and painful years. He shared, "The verdict has taken 10 long painful years and sleepless nights, But today I have not only won this case against me but I have also won my dignity and confidence back, it took a lot of courage to face the world with such heinous allegations, I hope and pray to God that nobody goes through what I have gone through at such a young age, I don't know who will give me these 10 years of my life back to me, but I am glad that this has finally come to an end not only for me but especially for my family. There is nothing bigger than peace in this world."
Videos and pictures of Sooraj Pancholi's mother, Zarina Wahab accompanying him in the Mumbai court have surfaced online.
Jiah Khan's demise
The actress was found dead at her apartment in Mumbai on June 3, 2013. The 25-year-old actress was found hanging in her bedroom.
While investigating, a six-page letter, purportedly written by Jiah, was seized by the police.
Suicide letter
The handwritten letter that was recovered from Jiah's house revealed many shocking details about her relationship with her then-boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi.
The letter reads: ''These days I see no light I wake up not wanting to wake up. There was a time I saw my life with you, a future with you. But you shattered my dreams. I feel dead inside. I've never given so much of myself to someone or cared so much. You returned my love with cheating and lies. It didn't matter how many gifts I gave you or how beautiful I looked for you. I was scared of getting pregnant but I gave myself completely the pain you have caused me every day has destroyed every bit of me, destroyed my soul. I can't eat or sleep or think or function. I am running away from everything. The career is not even worth it anymore.''
On the basis of a suicide note, Sooraj Pancholi, son of actor Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was arrested under Section 306 (abetment to suicide). However, the autopsy report revealed that the cause of her death was identified as hanging, and no foul play was found.
Mr Pancholi was arrested in the case in June 2013 and released on bail in July 2013.
Rabia Khan says she will approach the High Court
After the big judgement, Rabia Khan said that she will move to High Court now. "The charge of abetment to suicide has gone. But how did my child die? This is a case of murder...will approach the High Court," she said, per Indian Express.
Who was Jiah Khan?
Born Nafisa Khan, Jiah was a known face of the Bollywood industry. Brought up in London, she made her acting debut in 2007 with Ram Gopal Verma's film Nishabd co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. Jiah bagged a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She later went on to star in many big-budget films, like Aamir Khan's Ghajini, and Akshay Kumar's Housefull, among others.
