Sooraj Demands Respect

Actor Sooraj Pancholi has objected to the 'unanswered' tag associated with actress Jiah Khan's death, even though he has been acquitted by the court.

Through his latest update on Insta, Sooraj shared that he has struggled for 14 years to prove his innocence and fails to understand what more needs to be answered when the case has already been decided by the court on the basis of facts.

His emotional post read, "I was only 20 years old when this unfortunate incident happened. I had known her for barely four months, and I had no idea what she may have been going through internally. At that age, I was too young to understand that someone could be carrying so much. What followed changed my life forever (sic)."

"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 went on to add.

Sooraj added that even after he was acquitted by the court, people continue to hold him guilty.

"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", his post further read.

As he concluded the post, Sooraj urged all to get their facts right if they chose to share the story.

"All I ask is that you approach this with honesty, responsibility, sensitivity and professionalism. If you are going to tell my story, please tell the whole story", he signed off.

Refreshing your memory, actress Jiah Khan was found dead in her Mumbai apartment on June 3, 2013. While the case was initially ruled as a suicide, Jiah's mother alleged murder. Sooraj, who was reportedly her boyfriend at the time, was accused of abetment to suicide but was acquitted in April 2023 by a special CBI court.