Sooraj Pancholi Reflects on Harsh Jail Experience in Jiah Khan Case

MUMBAI — Actor Sooraj Pancholi recently opened up about the grueling experience he endured during his 21-day detention in Arthur Road Jail, following his arrest in connection with the 2013 suicide of his then-girlfriend, actor Jiah Khan. In an interview, Pancholi described the ordeal as a blur, recalling the harsh conditions he faced at the age of 21.

Pancholi revealed he was placed in solitary confinement in the notorious “anda cell,” previously occupied by Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict. “It’s all hazy. I was just a 21-year-old boy at the time,” he said. “They treated me like I’d done a bomb blast.” He recounted sleeping on newspapers during his confinement, underscoring the severity of the treatment he received.

Jiah Khan, known for roles in films such as Nishabd and Ghajini, was found dead at her Mumbai residence on June 3, 2013. Her death was ruled a suicide, and a six-page note discovered afterward detailed her troubled relationship with Pancholi, alleging emotional and physical abuse. Based on this note, Mumbai Police arrested Pancholi on charges of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. In 2023, a special CBI court acquitted him, citing insufficient evidence to support the charges.

Pancholi, the son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, has since spoken about the toll the case took on his life and career. His mother, Zarina Wahab, recently claimed in an interview that Khan had been depressed and had attempted suicide multiple times before her relationship with Pancholi. The actor, who debuted in the 2015 film Hero opposite Athiya Shetty, was most recently seen in the historical drama Kesari Veer.