Jiah Khan Suicide: CBI decides to drop Aditya Pancholi as a witness over fear that he might damage the case

• Image Credit: Google

• Feb 10, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The CBI is said to have assessed whether bringing Aditya Pancholi in as a witness would help strengthen their case against Suraj or weaken it...

Digital Desk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has informed a special court in Mumbai that actor Aditya Pancholi would not be called as a witness in the actor Jiah Khan's suicide case. Suraj Pancholi, Aditya Pancholi's son, is a suspect in the 2013 suicide case.

The CBI is said to have assessed whether bringing Aditya Pancholi in as a witness would help strengthen their case against Suraj or weaken it. The agency was concerned that Aditya might help his son and weaken their case against him, so he was omitted from the list of witnesses.

Suraj is accused of abetting the suicide of Jiah Khan. Jiah Khan's mother, Rabia Khan, found her daughter hanging in the bedroom of her Juhu flat. A week later, Rabia had recorded her statement, pointing fingers at Suraj, after which the budding actor was arrested by the Mumbai police.

During the course of the investigation, the Mumbai police recorded Aditya Pancholi's statement. Aditya had stated in his statement at the time that he had gone to Jiah Khan's apartment after learning of her death.

The probe was later transferred to the CBI following Rabia's petition at the Bombay High Court alleging that Suraj Pancholi had murdered Jiah and it was not just abetment to suicide for which he should be charged. The CBI came to the same conclusion, and the matter went to trial.

So far, 21 witnesses have testified in court, including Rabia and Jiah's sister. The CBI has dropped another witness, a man who worked as a domestic helper in the Pancholi household.

The special CBI judge AS Sayyad will resume hearing the case on February 16 when a witness will be cross-examined by Suraj Pancholi's lawyer.