CBI files charge sheet in Jiah Khan suicide case

The Central Bureau of Investigation on filed its charge sheet in model-actress Jiah Khan suicide case in which actor Suraj Pancholi, the son of Bollywood couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, is an accused.

The charge sheet comes a fortnight after the sessions court 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."

Jiah, an American citizen, was found dead at her Juhu home here on June 3, 2013. The police later arrested Suraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by the Bollywood starlet, and booked him for 'abetment of suicide'.

According to the police, Jiah, 25, was in a relationship with Suraj, who was then trying to make a foothold in Bollywood and recently made his screen debut with 'Hero'.

The Bombay high court had subsequently granted bail to Suraj. His bail application contended that the two were in a consensual relationship, and the letter was being misused by Jiah's mother Rabiya.

In October 2013, Rabiya had moved the Bombay high court alleging that her daughter had been murdered, seeking a CBI probe.

The suburban Juhu police on January 16, 2013, had filed a 447-page charge sheet in Andheri magistrate's court before the case was transferred to CBI in July, 2014. Meanwhile, special public prosecutor Dinesh Tiwari on Wednesday expressed surprise at the CBI's move.

"I was never informed about the charge sheet and the conclusion that the agency had arrived at," Tiwari told PTI.

Tiwari, who had also appeared for Jiah's mother Rabiya, said that he will oppose the charge sheet if CBI concludes the death as a suicide.