Prosecution seeks murder charge against Sooraj Pancholi in Jiah Khan suicide case

In a new turn, the prosecution in model-turned-actress Jiah Khan suicide case on Thursday sought to invoke murder charge against actor Sooraj Pancholi, who is accused of abetting her death.

The prosecution also demanded that the trial be conducted against Sooraj adding the murder charge.

“Rabiya (Jiah’s mother) is the informant and she says it’s the case of Section 302 of the IPC (murder). She was the first who saw the body. Hence, Sooraj should be charged for murder,” public prosecutor Kalpana Hire told the special womens’ court conducting the trial in the case.

However, the trial court would decide on the murder charge at the time of framing charges against the accused, legal sources said.

Hire told the court that it should frame charges of rape and causing miscarriage without woman’s (Jiah) consent against Sooraj.

Special Judge AS Shende will continue to hear the arguments on framing of charges on May 20.

Responding to Hire’s arguments, Pancholi’s lawyer Prashant Patil told the court that there was no evidence for framing the charges of murder against Pancholi. Patil said even there was no evidence against Pancholi to charge him for abetment.

He said the abortion of Jiah was a medical termination as there was no evidence to suggest that she went to doctors.