Jiah Khan abetment to suicide case: CBI ‘not serious’ about expediting trial, says Court

Observing that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the prosecution in actor Jiah Khan’s abetment to suicide case is not serious to expedite the trial despite of the court’s repeated instructions, in a order on Friday, the special court directed the agency to expedite the trial by calling witnesses without fail before it. Khan’s then partner and actor Suraj Pancholi is facing trial.

On Friday, the CBI sought an adjournment when the court was to record testimony of a witness. It claimed that it had summoned the witness, but the witness was unable to be present due to an unavoidable circumstance.

The order came on an application by Pancholi’s for expediting the trial. He said in his application through advocate Prashant Patil that the case is pending since 2014 and the CBI is trying every tactic to delay the matter. His plea stated that the trial is not proceeding in an effective manner and the delay is causing hardship to him. He pointed out that the agency is well aware that his advocate travels from Pune to conduct the case and the CBI had still not intimated him that the trial would not be conducted on the day. He further sought that Rs. 10,000 be levied as cost of the CBI for delaying the trial. 

Special CBI Judge AS Sayyad recorded that the court has till date examined 18 witnesses and since the recording of the testimony of the last witness, there is no progress as expected from the side of prosecution. “Time and again this court has directed the prosecution to expedite the trial, instead of that prosecution does not appear to be serious in expediting the trial,” the court said. It said that speedy justice is a constitutional right of the accused and that since four months for some or the other reason, the progress of the matter is at a standstill. It took note of the aspects and said the prosecution expected to expedite the trial as early as possible.