Sonil Dedhia (BOMBAY TIMES; June 12, 2016)
On Friday, the special women's court granted permission to Sooraj Pancholi so that he can travel abroad for professional commitments between June 20 and July 1. This is the second time the actor will be travelling overseas after being booked in the Jiah Khan death case since June 2013. Sooraj's lawyer, Prashant Patil told BT, “We are glad that the court did not hesi tate in considering my client's application. There was a hearing on Friday and we procured all the necessary permissions.“ A source close to the actor adds that he will be travelling to Spain for a show where he will perform.
On May 5, additional public prosecutor Kalpana Hire had pressed charges under three sections - 302 (murder), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent) and 376 (rape). The matter was adjourned by the court till June 10, but it was pushed even further. For Pancholi, the next crucial day is July 8, when his lawyer will argue to discharge the matter. The additional evidence about Jiah's past history and Mr Bloom's testament (as reported by BT on June 6) could be brought up in Court during the next hearing. To quickly recap, Bloom - a London citizen - wrote to the Mumbai Police informing them of how even in the past Jiah's mother had filed a false case of sexual assault against his son.
In a week another important matter on the case is up for hearing in the High Court. Jiah's mother Rabiya Khan had sought FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) intervention in the matter after she was unhappy with CBI's (Central Bureau of Investigation) investigation. On June 15 it will be decided whether the FBI will really probe in to this case.