Zarina Wahab, Sooraj Pancholi’s mother, reacts to Jiah Khan’s mother Rabia Khan’s plans of moving the case to higher court. (Pic: Viral Bhayani)
Zarina Wahab shared her thoughts on son Sooraj Pancholi getting a clean chit by the special CBI court in the Jiah Khan suicide case.
Earlier today (April 28), a special CBI court acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was accused of abetting the suicide of his then-girlfriend and actor Jiah Khan, citing ‘paucity of evidence’. On June 3, 2013, Jiah was found dead at her Juhu home in Mumbai. She was 25. Based on a letter seized a week later, purportedly written by her, Mumbai Police had booked Sooraj under section 306 (abetment to suicide) and arrested him. He was later released on bail.
Sooraj and his mother, veteran actor Zarina Wahab, were mobbed by the shutterbugs in the morning as they made their way to the court. Speaking to News18.com exclusively after the court’s verdict, Zarina now heaves a sigh of relief and tells us, “We have always believed in God and have always prayed to him. We have never begged for any mercy in front of anyone and I think finally justice has been served. Woh kehte hai na bhagwan ke ghar der hai but andher nahi. God has been kind to us.”
Following the verdict, Jiah’s mother, Rabia Khan, exclusively told News18.com that she would file an appeal against the special CBI court’s order in a higher court and continue fighting for her daughter. Reacting to it, Zarina states, “I am not in a position to comment on this. She can do whatever she wants for her satisfaction. All I can say is that we believed in the judiciary system and they have given their verdict. Justice has been served… Stayamave Jayate, sachai ki humesha jeet hoti hai.”
A while back, Sooraj issued a statement on receiving a clean chit from the court and said that he is glad that “this has finally come to an end not only for me but specially my family”. Quiz Zarina about it and she shares, “Sooraj is doing fine. He is also thankful to God and the judiciary system.”
Following his arrest a few years back, the Hero and Satellite Shankar actor was released on bail. Jiah’s mother, thereafter, moved to the Bombay High Court and sought a transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The central investigating agency then filed a chargesheet in December 2015 in which they charged Pancholi with abetment of suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.
