Sooraj Pancholi

There has been a fresh development in the Jiah Khan–Sooraj Pancholi case. According to the latest update, the High Court has given a go ahead to press charges against ‘Hero’ star Sooraj Pancholi after lifting the stay on his trail.

The division bench headed by Justice Naresh Patil and Justice A M Badar heard a fresh petition filed by Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan and has asked to start the process of framing charges against the actor. As reported by the Times of India, the bench’s statement in the matter was, “Initially, you were not happy with the police investigations and the case was transferred to the CBI. Now, that the CBI has concurred with the police probe and filed a chargesheet, you are asking for the case to be transferred to a special investigation team (SIT). Tomorrow, what happens if you are not satisfied with the SIT probe? The stay on the trial cannot be continued.”

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On May 5, a trial is scheduled to press charges against the actor for the abetment of suicide. Advocate Hiten Venegaonkar, counsel for the CBI stated that though no case of murder is found, there is definitely abetment of suicide in the matter. “No case of murder is made out. The evidence points to an offence of abetting suicide and the CBI has filed a chargesheet under section 306 of the IPC,” said Venegaonkar to TOI.

Jiah Khan committed suicide in June 2013, post which her mother Rabia filed charges against Sooraj for driving her daughter to kill herself.