Suraj Pancholi appears for trial in court

A month after Mumbai police filed a chargesheet against him for abetting the suicide of Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, Suraj Pancholi appeared before the trial court here today.

"Suraj, son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, appeared before the court today and the court adjourned the case till next month," said advocate Dinesh Tiwari who is appearing in the case on behalf of Jiah's mother Rabiya.

The pre-trial formalities in the case are yet to be over.

Suburban Juhu police had on January 16 filed a 447-page charge sheet in metropolitan magistrate's court in suburban Andheri, following which the magistrate transferred the case to the sessions court for trial.

Jiah, an American citizen, was found dead at her Juhu home on June 3 last year. The police arrested Suraj on June 10 on the basis of a six-page letter which was found in the house, purportedly written by Jiah.

Police booked him on the charge of abetement of suicide. According to the police, Jiah was in a relationship with Pancholi.

Suraj was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on July 1, 2013. In his bail plea, he said they were in a consensual relationship and the letter was being misused by Jiah's mother Rabiya.

Rabiya moved the Bombay High Court in October 2013 alleging her daughter had been murdered and sought a CBI probe. Following this, the court asked the police to record her statement, collect material given by her, and probe the murder angle.

Last month, Rabiya had met the officials in the Consulate of United States of America in Mumbai where she was assured that they (consulate) had written to Indian authorities offering help in probing Jiah's death.