There could be a new twist in actor Jiah Khan’s death case as, in a petition filed in the Bombay High Court, Jiah’s mother Rabia is seeking that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The petition filed on Tuesday alleges a “lethargic and biased approach to benefit the accused Sooraj Pancholi”.
The petition accompanied by several photographs of Jiah taken right after the incident and supported by an independent opinion from a forensic expert, points towards a case of homicidal death than a suicide as projected by the police so far.
Rabia’s petition, filed through Advocate Dinesh Tiwari, also raises fingers on the Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre Patil — for declaring it as that of a suicide within a few hours of the incident.
Jiah Khan allegedly committed suicide on June 3 this year. Her boyfriend Sooraj was arrested for assisting her suicide a week later i.e. on June 10, but released on bail on July 2 after the HC granted him bail a day earlier.
“The petitioner has strong reasons to believe that the entire investigation has been hushed up at the behest of the police who were pre–decided to carry out the investigation in the manner so that the truth does not come out. While doing so, the matter which could have been investigated as a case of murder, has been converted into a case of suicide,” reads the petition.
It further adds that the investigation is so bad that there is hardly any possibility of getting the accused convicted. It accuses Sooraj’s father — actor Aditya Panscholi — of using his clout.
On the forensic related facts of the case, the petition lists certain points which indicate that the case may be that of hanging Jiah after killing her.
It says that there are other injury marks on Jiah’s face and body apart from the usual ligature marks which happen in every case of death due to hanging. It points towards an injury on the right side of her lips and a mark on her left arm — as if someone held her tightly.
The petition says that the ligature marks on her neck are not the way a person would get when s/he hangs him/herself from the ceiling fan, thereby pointing towards strangulation.
This contention has been backed by an independent forensic expert — Dr R N Jerajani.
Dr Jerajani’s report about the ligature marks says, “The marks are on the right side of the neck, backwards and slightly downwards, while on the left side also slightly downwards.
These imprints are not the usual marks that will be seen in the cases of hanging and possibility of strangulation is by deductive rule out.”
Jiah allegedly hanged herself using a soft muslin dupatta. Dr Jerajani’s opinion, in this regard, says that the depth of the ligature marks is difficult to achieve with soft material.
The petition says that a forensic expert from a government hospital too has given similar opinion, but he did not wish to be named.
According to the petition, Rabia Khan has preserved a blood-patch found by her in a room different from where her daughter’s body was found even till now. The petition says that despite having pointed this out to the police repeatedly, they haven’t bothered to collect it. A handle of one of the drawers in this room was also found in bent position.
The petition also points towards the difference in height between the ground and the ceiling fan — located right between two single beds. According to the petition, Jiah could not have hanged herself from the ceiling fan so high, without help from a stool — which was not there at the home at all. It says that Jiah’s cousins tried to enact the suicide seen, but failed to do so.
The petition says that Rabia informed Vishwas Manger Patil and the investigating officer of the case about whatever she found, but they failed to pay any heed. It further states that the bedroom window could have been used to gain entry into her first floor apartment, as the window is at a very low level and very close to the ledge over the building’s entry. It says that the fact that the window was found to be open despite the room’s air conditioner being on raises enough suspicion.
CCTV footage indicates that when Jiah entered the flat a few minutes before she allegedly committed suicide, she was dressed in a track suit, whereas her body was found dressed in a night suit. Would a person about to commit suicide change dress right before doing it, questions the petition.
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