Actor Sooraj Pancholi has strongly criticised media reports that continue to describe the Jiah Khan death case as "unanswered," despite his acquittal by the courts. Sharing a statement on Instagram, Pancholi wrote, "Unanswered? A 14-Year court trial says otherwise," and urged media organisations to report the case accurately.
In his post, Pancholi said the matter had been decided on the basis of facts, evidence and the law. "I was acquitted, and there are no 'unanswered questions' from the legal proceedings (sic)," he wrote, adding that the court records are publicly available for anyone who wishes to understand the facts before forming an opinion.
Reflecting on the impact of the case on his life, the actor said he was only 20 years old when the incident occurred.
"I lived under the weight of a trial that consumed my twenties and a large part of my thirties (sic)," he wrote, adding, "If, even after that, people still choose to judge me and hold me guilty, I honestly don't know what more I can do (sic)."
Pancholi also explained why he had remained silent throughout the years. According to him, he chose not to speak publicly about Jiah Khan's personal struggles out of respect for her privacy.
"Out of respect, I have never spoken publicly about the personal traumas she shared with me... I chose to protect her privacy despite everything I have been through (sic)," he wrote.
Concluding his statement, Pancholi appealed to the media to report responsibly and with sensitivity, saying that every inaccurate headline reopens a painful chapter of his life that he has spent years trying to move past.
Jiah Khan was found dead at her Mumbai residence in June 2013, following which Pancholi was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide. In April 2023, a special CBI court acquitted him of all charges. Subsequently, the Bombay High Court dismissed petitions filed by Jiah Khan's mother seeking a fresh investigation into the case.
Jiah Khan made her acting debut in Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd, starring Amitabh Bachchan.
On the professional front, Sooraj Pancholi was last seen in director Prince Dhiman's period drama Kesari Veer: Legends of Somnath.
