Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi, who is facing the charge of driving actress Jiah Khan to commit suicide, has filed an application in the Bombay high court seeking “free, fair and expeditious” trial against him as guaranteed in the Constitution. He has also requested the court to direct the trial court to conclude the case within six months. The court has asked him to add late actress Jiah’s mother Rabia as respondent in the matter and deferred hearing till November.
Advocate Prashant Patil in the petition has alleged that Pancholi is not facing a free and fair trial, “as all the procedures followed under the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) are completely sabotaged by the original complainant, Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan, and her regular interference in the course of justice before the trial court.”
When contacted on this, Ms Rabia Khan replied, “The court had neither directed nor asked the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to submit a chargesheet, but a report was called on a specific primary query with regards to the cause of death. There has been a delay of 15 months on CBI’s side in preparing a non-conclusive report, which does not conclude suicide/homicide, (the) investigation (is) incomplete.”
She also said, “I am sure (if) the accused loved my daughter so much he will be interested to know how she died?”
“If he has not seen the experts’ forensic report that points (to) homicide and (that) Jiah’s death was staged then he will not be in any rush but emphasis CBI in challenging their investigation and not bother with appointment of the prosecutor. I am not delaying nor interfering but as a mother it’s my duty and it is my first responsibility to question authority and see justice is served.”
