Jiah case: HC refuses to extend stay on trial against Sooraj

The Bombay high court on Monday refused to extend the stay granted on trial against actor Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan suicide case. 

The High Court had on February 25 stayed trial against Sooraj, while hearing a petition filed by Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan, challenging the CBI’s charge-sheet terming Jiah’s death as a suicide.

Rabia had petitioned the High Court against the CBI categorising Jiah’s death on June 3, 2013, as suicidal and not homicidal. Rabia sought the High Court to set up an SIT to probe the case afresh.

Rabia’s lawyer Subash Jha sought for the stay to be extended pending hearing of this petition before a A Division Bench of justices NH Patil and AM Badar. The Bench, however, refused to extend the stay on the trial and posted the next hearing on June 7.

“You (Rabia) were not happy with the state police probe and approached the high court, which directed the CBI to probe the case. The CBI has filed its charge-sheet and has concurred with the findings of the police and charged the accused under section 306 (abetment). Now you (Rabia) want SIT probe. What if tomorrow your are not satisfied with the SIT also ? This has to end somewhere,” Justice Patil said.