The Tragic Death of Actress Jiah Khan A Long and Complicated Legal Battle

1. ARTICLE The Tragic Death of Actress Jiah Khan A Long and Complicated Legal Battle   BY MOHIT-KUMAR-SHARMA APR 24, 2023 17:41

3. Introduction Jiah Khan, born as Nafisa Rizvi Khan, was an aspiring actress who had acted in a few Bollywood movies. However, her promising career came to a tragic end on June 3, 2013, when she was found dead in her apartment in Mumbai. The news of her death shook the entire film industry and her fans. Her death was initially ruled as suicide, but her mother, Rabia Khan, believed that her daughter was murdered. Thus, started a long and complicated legal battle that continued for several years. Background Jiah Khan was born in New York City, USA, in 1988, to a Muslim family of Indian origin. Her father, Ali Rizvi Khan, was a businessman, while her mother, Rabia Amin, was an actress who had acted in a few Bollywood movies. Jiah grew up in London, UK, and attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. She made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with the movie Nishabd, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Her performance in the movie was critically acclaimed, and she was praised for her bold and confident portrayal of a teenage girl who falls in love with an older man. Jiah went on to act in a few more Bollywood movies, such as Ghajini (2008) and Housefull (2010), but she failed to achieve the kind of success that she had hoped for. She was reportedly depressed and frustrated with her career, and her personal life was also in turmoil. She had a tumultuous relationship with actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was the son of Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi and actress Zarina Wahab. The couple had reportedly broken up a few days before Jiah's death. The Incident On the night of June 3, 2013, Jiah khan was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her apartment in Juhu, Mumbai. Her mother, Rabia Khan, was the first to discover her body. The police were immediately informed, and they arrived at the scene within minutes. The police found a suicide note in Jiah's room, which was reportedly written by her. The note, which was later made public, contained some disturbing revelations about Jiah's state of mind and her troubled relationship with Sooraj Pancholi.

4. The Investigation The police initially treated Jiah's death as a case of suicide and launched an investigation. They questioned Sooraj Pancholi, who was reportedly the last person to speak to Jiah before her death. Sooraj denied any involvement in Jiah's death and claimed that he had no idea why she had taken such a drastic step. He also claimed that he had not met Jiah in the days leading up to her death and that their relationship had ended on a cordial note. However, Jiah's mother, Rabia Khan, did not believe the police's theory that Jiah had committed suicide. She claimed that her daughter had been murdered and that Sooraj Pancholi was involved in the crime. She alleged that Sooraj had physically abused Jiah and had driven her to take her own life. Rabia filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, demanding a fresh investigation into her daughter's death. The Legal Battle The legal battle that followed was long and complicated. Rabia Khan filed several petitions in the Bombay High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Supreme Court, demanding justice for her daughter. She alleged that the police had botched the investigation and had not properly followed up on the leads that could have led to the truth. She also alleged that Sooraj Pancholi had tampered with the evidence and had used his influence to influence the investigation ALSO READ Sudhanshu Trivedi A Prominent BJP Leader and Strategist in Uttar Pradesh - This Year Educate Yourself and Develop Your Skill with EasyShiksha Online Courses with Certificate - Authorised certificate recognized everywhere TAGS:JIAH KHANBOLLYWOODLEGAL BATTLESUICIDEMURDERSOORAJ PANCHOLIINVESTIGATIONBOMBAY HIGH COURTCBISUPREME COURT