The Bombay high court on Monday, granted as a last chance three more week’s time to the lawyer of Rabia Khan, mother of late Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, to seek instructions from his client to argue
The Bombay high court on Monday, granted as a last chance three more week’s time to the lawyer of Rabia Khan, mother of late Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, to seek instructions from his client to argue seeking investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) into Jiah’s death.
The court, which has already adjourned hearing on several occasions in the past, has said that it would vacate the stay on the trial against actor Sooraj Pancholi if further time is sought.
On three earlier dates, advocate Subhash Jha had appeared before the court on behalf of Rabia Khan and had sought adjournment on the ground that he wanted to argue the case in the presence of the petitioner who is a British national and was in the UK because one of her daughters was sick.
On Monday, Ms Khan was present in the court but another lawyer, A. Patil, appeared on her behalf and sought three week’s time to get instructions from her so that he could argue on her behalf.
However, the division bench of Justice Naresh. H. Patil and Justice Prakash Deu Naik was not willing to grant time because the Apex Court has has asked that the probe be speeded up. Justice Patil said that as per the Supreme Court order, the petition was supposed to be heard and decided by July 7, which the court has already crossed because the petitioner sought time.
During hearing, CBI counsel Hiten Venegaonkar also took objection and requested the court either not to adjourn matter without hearing or vacate the stay granted by the vacation bench of the high court on the trial of this case.
He said this is because the petitioner is seeking time again and again, due to which the trial could not commence.
When the bench sought reply from advocate Patil on this issue, he requested the court to grant time as a “last chance.” The bench accepted this request and adjourned the matter for three weeks.
Rabia Khan is seeking further investigation into her daughter’s death by an SIT.
The city police and CBI have claimed that Jiah committed suicide while Rabia is claiming she was murdered and an SIT should find out who was behind her killing.
