Bombay HC to hear Jiah Khan case from June 7

The Bombay High Court will hear the case of actress Jiah Khan's suicide from June 7, following a Supreme Court directive to expedite the matter, her mother Rabiya Khan said on Tuesday.

Rabiya Khan, who moved a plea in the Supreme Court through her lawyer Jayant Bhushan, said that the matter was being heard in an improper manner in the trial court in Mumbai.

"The honourable Supreme Court has understood it and directed the matter to be heard expeditiously in Bombay High Court. I have also requested for a Special Investigation Team to probe the case," Rabiya Khan told IANS.

She also informed the apex court that the matter was being heard without a special public prosecutor being assigned to the case.

In July 2014, the Bombay High Court had asked the the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe Jiah's death on June 3, 2013 at her Mumbai flat.

The development followed a plea filed by Rabiya Khan claiming shoddy probe by the Mumbai Police into the death of her daughter, an American citizen.

In its chargesheet filed in December 2015, the CBI had charged Jiah's former boyfriend, actor Sooraj Pancholi with abetment to suicide, which Rabiya had challenged.

Sooraj was arrested on charges of abetment of suicide on June 10, 2013 and released on bail on July 2, 2013.

In her short film career, Jiah created a sensation in Bollywood with her bold roles in movies including "Nishabd", "Housefull" and "Ghajini".

--IANS

qn/vd