SC turns down mother’s plea for suspending trial in Jiah Khan case

R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 17

The Supreme Court today rejected a plea for suspending the trial of actor Suraj Pancholi on the charge of abetting his former girl friend Jiah Khan to commit suicide on June 3, 2013.

A vacation Bench of Justices Abhay Manohar Sapre and Ashok Bhushan, however, granted liberty to Zia’s mother Rabia Amin to approach the Bombay High Court and requested the HC to expedite the case.

Appearing for Rabia, senior advocate Jayant Bhushan said his client had lost faith in the trial as the trial judge was proceeding with the hearings even in the absence of the special public prosecutor. The trial court had asked the assistant public prosecutor (APP) to argue on Pancholi’s plea for a clean chit despite the fact that the APP had nothing to do with the case and was not prepared for the purpose.

Bhushan pleaded that the SC should at least restrain the trial court from passing any order discharging the accused in the case as the trial would resume later this week. Unconvinced, the Bench said Rabia could show today’s SC order to the trial court.

While hearing Rabia’s plea for constituting a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct further probe, the HC had stayed the trial on February 26, but refused to extend the stay order on May 3. The victim’s mother had approached the SC challenging this interim order of the HC.

Rabia has also challenged the chargesheet filed by the CBI booking Pancholi only for suicide abetment, instead of for culpable homicide. Known for her role in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer “Nishabd,” Jiah was found hanging in her Juhu apartment in Mumbai. It was at the instance of the victim’s mother the investigation in the case had been transferred from the state police to the CBI.