Boyfriend Eyed in Bollywood Star's Suicide

Suraj Pancholi granted bail 3 weeks after arrest
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 2, 2013 9:53 AM CDT
Boyfriend Eyed in Bollywood Star's Suicide
Suraj Pancholi is escorted by police as he leaves after appearing before a court in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, June 11, 2013.   (AP Photo)

The aftermath of Jiah Khan's suicide reads like a movie: Suraj Pancholi, boyfriend of the actress whose hanging stunned Bollywood last month, was granted bail yesterday, three weeks after being arrested for possibly having a hand in her death. Pancholi, an aspiring actor, was mentioned in a note found by Khan's mother and sister in her bedroom a few days after she died, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The note alleges Pancholi emotionally and physically abused Khan, and also mentions that Khan had an abortion against her will, reports Reuters. But the Bombay High Court found that Pancholi "cannot be held solely responsible."

Pancholi accused Khan's mother of misusing the note, and insisted he was in a consensual relationship with the starlet. The court decided the note may not have even been a suicide note (it could be diary pages), and observed that Pancholi cared for Khan after a previous suicide attempt. On the day she killed herself, the court says it appeared a "misunderstanding" between Khan and Pancholi led the actress to be "in a rage of fury." Also, the court stated, Khan was very possessive of Pancholi and jealous that he spent more time on his career than on their relationship, the Times of India reports. No charges have yet been filed; Reuters notes that abetting suicide carries a 10-year sentence. (More Jiah Khan stories.)

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