Bombay HC issues notice to Jiah Khan's mother, Rabia

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday served a “contempt of court” notice on Rabia Khan, mother of Bollywood actress Jiah Khan who was found dead at her Juhu flat in June 2013.

The court issued the notice to Khan for not following its order against circulation or making any defamatory statement against actor Suraj Pancholi and his family in print, social and electronic media. The next hearing in the case is on February 3, when Ms Khan may respond to the notice. After Jiah was found dead at her Juhu residence, her then boyfriend Pancholi had come under the scanner. The matter, which was initially probed by Mumbai police, was later, on Ms Khan’s request, was taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In its December 2015 supplementary chargesheet, the CBI had held that Jiah had committed suicide and leveled charges against Pancholi for abetting it. Since the probe on the death began, Rabia was accused of making defamatory statements against the Pancholi famaily. In 2014, they had filed a '100 crore defamation suit against Rabia in the High Court.  

A single bench of Justice Gautam Patel was hearing the defamation suit filed by Zarina Wahab, Aditya Pancholi and Suraj Pancholi. Ms Khan had immediately accepted the statements she had made in the media, before the court. In June 16, 2014, the high court had ordered Ms Khan that she shall not use defamatory language against any of the Pancholi family members on social, print and electronic media.

However, Prashant Patil, Pancholi’s lawyer observed that she had been relentless. “After courts order Ms Khan did not stop, she kept passing defamatory statements. Therefore, we had moved contempt of court petition against Rabia Khan in June 2016 at Bombay high Court.” “We have showed the court how she was continuously making statements on social and other means of media. Finally, the court is satisfied with our arguments and issued a contempt of court notice against her,” Patil added.