‘They’re Repeating Same Method’: Late Actress Jiah Khan’s Mother Speaks Out For First Time After Sooraj Pancholi’s Name Surfaces In Disha Salian Case

Late actress Jiah Khan’s mother, Rabya Khan, has issued her first statement after Sooraj Pancholi’s name appeared in the CBI FIR filed in connection with Disha Salian’s death case. Without naming anyone, Rabya took to social media and wrote, “When I hear that the same name has surfaced in another young Disha Salian murder six years ago, it deeply saddens me and this must alarm everyone.”

Rabya went on to speak about the importance of preserving crucial evidence, claiming she knows what happens when evidence is “destroyed” or replaced in a way that can “fool victims”. She said that once key evidence is lost or destroyed, it becomes increasingly difficult for investigators and families to establish the truth. Rabya also referred to what she described as “serious discrepancies” that were recognised by the High Court in Disha’s case.

Jiah’s mother further claimed that a fresh investigation could face significant hurdles if crucial evidence is no longer available. “No wonder they have specifically said no one is accused without evidence. But when crucial evidence has already been destroyed or lost, a fresh investigation will face an enormous handicap,” she wrote. Rabya also drew a parallel with her daughter’s case, stating that Jiah’s death was termed “abetment to suicide”, but questioning whether the alleged act of “abetting” was adequately investigated. She claimed that a similar approach was now being seen in Disha’s case.

In another part of her statement, Rabya expressed concern that a lack of evidence could ultimately prevent a case from reaching a definitive conclusion. She wrote, “High Court order will give these accused acquittal due to no evidence.” She questioned why evidence that could potentially help establish the truth is allegedly not preserved, adding that this could leave another grieving family “searching for answers”.

Rabya also questioned the system’s handling of evidence, writing, “Think why the system repeatedly fails to protect the evidence that could establish the truth.” She concluded that Disha, like Jiah, “deserves the truth” and criticised what she described as a perception created to conceal it. “The people are not foolish, it’s different perception created to hide truth when the system tries to protect them,” she wrote.

Jiah Khan made her Bollywood debut opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Nishabd (2007) and later starred in films including Ghajini and Housefull. She was found dead at her Mumbai residence on June 3, 2013, aged 25. Her death was investigated as a suicide, while her then-boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi was accused of abetment to suicide. However, a Special CBI Court acquitted Pancholi in 2023, citing lack of evidence. Jiah’s mother, Rabya Khan, has continued to allege that her daughter was murdered and has challenged the suicide theory.