Sooraj Pancholi says perception of him was ‘ruined years ago’ because of Jiah Khan case

Sooraj Pancholi said that he is a ‘little satisfied’ after his trial in the Jiah Khan death case has been moved to a special CBI court. Jiah was found dead in her apartment in Mumbai in 2013, and her boyfriend at the time, Sooraj, was charged with abetment to suicide.

In an interview, Sooraj said that the last eight years have not been easy for him and his image has been ‘ruined’ in the film industry. He added that he ‘should be penalised’ if convicted, but if he was acquitted, he ‘deserve(s) to be set free from these charges’.

Speaking to a leading daily, Sooraj said, “I am a little satisfied with this because my case should have been in the special CBI Court from the beginning. Now that the matter is in the CBI Court, I am hopeful that we will see closure to this. If the court finds me guilty, I should be penalised, but if it doesn’t, I deserve to be set free from these charges.”

“This period has been tough for me. I trust that there will be light at the end of this tunnel. It has been tough on me because the industry and everything around it works on perception and the perception about me has not been what I would have liked it to be. It was ruined years ago. I don’t know how I survived the last eight years; my family’s support has seen me through it all,” he added. He also said that he ‘tried forgetting’ all the things he faced in the last couple of years and wants to move forward.

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Jiah, who starred in films such as Nishabd, Ghajini and Housefull, was found dead on June 3, 2013. Her death was ruled a suicide, but her mother, Rabiya, has maintained that she was killed.

Sooraj made his Bollywood debut opposite Athiya Shetty in 2015. He was seen with Isabelle Kaif in Time To Dance earlier this year.