Jiah Khan death case: Court rejects CBI's further probe request
What's the story
A special court rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) request for further probe in the Jiah Khan suicide abetment case against actor Sooraj Pancholi.
The central agency had filed the application in 2019, seeking permission to investigate a crucial piece of evidence and deleted text messages between Khan and Pancholi.
To recall, Khan was found dead in her bedroom in June 2013.
Appeal
CBI sought to send Khan's dupatta for further investigation
As per media reports, CBI had sought permission to send the dupatta with which Khan had allegedly hung herself from a ceiling fan to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh for further examination.
They also appealed to retrieve deleted messages exchanged between the actress and her boyfriend through Blackberry messenger.
Notably, the court had rejected a similar application filed by Khan's mother, Rabia.
Claim
This is why the agency wanted to retrieve deleted messages
Reportedly, the agency mentioned in the plea that it wants to send the seized cellphones to the forensic department of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the USA to retrieve the deleted messages.
They had claimed the messages exchanged just before Khan's death were crucial for the investigation.
The Housefull actress' death had apparently come right after she had a spat with Pancholi.
Argument
Pleas only meant to delay trial: Pancholi's lawyer
Pancholi's lawyer Prashant Patil opposed the application, stating that this was simply a way to delay the trial, as aimed through the previous plea filed by Rabia before the Bombay High Court in 2017.
Patil noted the previous application also sought the same permissions and since the CBI had opposed Rabia's plea, this one should also get rejected as the agency's stance hasn't changed.
Information
Rabia maintains her daughter didn't die due to suicide
To note, the central body had opposed Rabia's plea as it claimed Khan's death was not a suicide.
CBI had ruled out the possibility of murder in August 2016. But Rabia still maintains CBI should investigate the murder angle.
Separately, the Hero actor was arrested on June 10, 2013, and granted bail a month later.
He is currently facing charges of abetment of suicide.
Do you know?
BBC released a documentary series on Khan's death this year
The death of the 25-year-old actress had sent shockwaves through the country. Based on a suicide note, Pancholi, the son of actor Aditya Pancholi, was charged with abetment to suicide. In January 2021, BBC released a documentary series, Death in Bollywood, on the case.