Jiah’s mother Rabia Khan had sought a stay on the grounds that the court was showing unnecessary haste in hearing the case; charges likely to be framed today
Two days after the Supreme Court refused to stay the trial court proceedings against Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan death case, a Bombay High Court bench on Thursday said it, too, was in no mood to grant a stay.
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Jiah Khan and Sooraj Pancholi
It directed Rabia Khan, Jiah’s mother, to approach another bench with her plea for a stay and an SIT probe into the death.
Rabia Khan, through her lawyer, Subhash Jha, had sought a stay on the trial court’s proceedings from a bench comprising Justice Abhay Gadkari and Justice MS Karnik on the grounds that the trial court was showing “unnecessary haste” in hearing the case.
Jiah Khan’s mother, Rabia, wants the murder charge to be invoked against actor Sooraj Pancholi
The trial court is expected to frame charges against Sooraj today.
‘Not inclined’
“You approach some other bench; we are not inclined to stay the matter. If the local court is going to frame charges on May 20, let them,” said Justice Gadkari.
Sooraj was booked by the CBI for abetment to suicide, but Rabia has asked that he be charged with the actress’ murder.
Jha had earlier argued in court that Sooraj had killed Jiah, and the abetment charge was incorrect. “The statements of all witnesses, which were earlier recorded by the police, were recorded again by the CBI. But they (CBI) are not looking at the case from the angle of murder,” he said.
Hiten Vinegaonkar, who appeared for the CBI, had earlier told the bench that the investigation agency wanted Dinesh Tiwari, special public prosecutor, to be removed from the case as he had been earlier approached by Rabia.