JULY 3- Three weeks after his arrest in the actress Jiah Khan suicide case, Sooraj Pancholi, son of Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi, was released from prison on Tuesday after the Bombay High Court granted him bail.
Sooraj, granted bail on Monday, walked out of the Arthur Road Jail in central Mumbai at about 5 pm. His family members had been busy since yesterday to complete the bail-related formalities.
Granting relief to Sooraj, the HC had observed that the 22-year-old aspiring actor can’t be held solely responsible for the “impulsive” act of his actress-girlfriend.
“No doubt it was unfortunate that a young girl has committed suicide. She (Jiah) must have been impulsive and he (Sooraj) cannot be held solely responsible for it,” Justice Sadhna Jadhav had observed.
Sooraj, arrested on June 10 on the charge of abetment of suicide, had been granted bail on a surety of Rs.50,000. The court directed him to surrender his passport and appear before the Juhu police every alternate day.
The HC had observed the letter (on the basis of which Sooraj was arrested), purportedly written by Jiah and recovered from her house, could not be taken as a suicide note as it is not addressed to anyone and was undated.
The HC noted the letter never reached Sooraj.
“Therefore, it cannot be said the emotions expressed in the letter ever reached the applicant (Sooraj),” Justice Jadhav said.
Besides, the court held that Sooraj never nurtured an intent or “mens rea” (motive) to push the 25-year-old actress to end her life.
The “Nishabd” star was found hanging in her apartment in Mumbai on June 3. Jiah’s family has accused Sooraj of physically and emotionally abusing her.
