Bombay HC raps Jiah’s mom over seeking adjournments

The Bombay high court on Thursday rapped Rabia Khan, the mother of Bollywood actress Jiah Khan who allegedly committed suicide in June 2013 at her Juhu flat, for taking multiple adjournments for filing a reply on the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI’s) affidavit.

“On 7th of June (2016) you took adjournment for filing reply. Since then you are constantly taking adjournment. This is not good, there is a trial pending in the sessions court because you have filed a petition in the high court,” said the court.

The court further told Rabia Khan that “you are wrongly using this judicial forum”.

A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Prakash Naik was hearing a petition filed by Rabia Khan seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the death of her actor-daughter Jiah. The actor died on June 3, 2013.

The court had asked Rabia Khan to file her a rejoinder affidavit on the CBI’s affidavit, to which she is yet to reply. After rapping the petitioner, the court adjourned the matter for a week.

On February 2015, the CBI had filed a chargesheet in the Jiah Khan case and made actor Suraj Pancholi an accused for abetting the suicide of Jiah.

In May 2015, Rabia Khan again moved the high court and pointing out some alleged loopholes in the investigation of the CBI, sought an SIT investigation.

In June 2016, the CBI had filed its reply to Rabia’s petition opposing her contention that her daughter could have been killed.

The CBI’s lawyer Hiten Venegaonkar said that initially, the local police investigated Jiah’s suicide but on the directions of the high court the investigation was transferred to the CBI.

After investigation, the CBI had also found that the actress had committed suicide and charged Suraj Pancholi with abetment to suicide. Now, the mother of the deceased is seeking an investigation by the SIT.