Sooraj Pancholi, acquitted in the Jiah Khan suicide case, broke his silence on Instagram. He slammed media for spreading ‘half-baked truths,’ stating the 14-year trial was based on facts and that there are no ‘unanswered questions’.
Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was acquitted in the Jiah Khan suicide case by a special CBI court, has spoken about his prolonged legal battle and the impact it had on his life, years after the verdict. On Sunday, the actor shared a long note on Instagram, urging people and media platforms to avoid spreading what he described as “half-baked truths” and said that the matter had already been decided by the court.
Pancholi questions ‘unanswered’ media claims
In his post, the actor questioned media reports that continue to refer to “unanswered questions” in the case, saying the trial, which lasted 14 years, was decided on the basis of facts, evidence and the law. “To ALL the Media pages out there! Please explain what you believe remains ‘unanswered,’ and kindly make sure your facts are accurate. I went through a 14-year court trial. The case was decided on the basis of facts, evidence and the law. I was acquitted, and there are no ‘unanswered questions’ from the legal proceedings. All the court records and trial proceedings are publicly available for anyone who genuinely wants to understand the facts before forming an opinion,” Pancholi wrote.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sooraj P (@soorajpancholi)
‘A trial that consumed my twenties and a large part of my thirties’
The actor also opened up about the impact the long legal battle had on his life. Calling it a “14-year court trial,” he said those were the years when he should have been building his future, but instead spent them trying to prove his innocence. “I spent the next 14 years fighting to prove my innocence. Those were the years when I should have been building my life. Instead, I lived under the weight of a trial that consumed my twenties and a large part of my thirties. Only I know what I carried in my mind and in my heart every single day,” he added.
‘My silence is not an opportunity’
Towards the end of his note, Sooraj said he had stayed silent out of respect for Jiah Khan and her privacy. He added that his silence should not be taken as an opportunity for people to write whatever they want about him. “Just because I have chosen to remain silent all these years doesn’t give anyone the right to write whatever they want. Out of respect, I have never spoken publicly about the personal traumas she shared with me or the struggles she faced in her life. I chose to protect her privacy despite everything I have been through. I only ask for the same fairness and respect in return,” he wrote.
The actor was accused of abetment to suicide following the death of actress Jiah Khan in 2013. A special CBI court acquitted Pancholi in the case after finding him not guilty. (ANI)
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