More than a year after being acquitted in the Jiah Khan suicide case, Sooraj Pancholi has once again found himself responding to questions about one of the darkest chapters of his life. The actor has expressed frustration over continued social media criticism, saying that despite a court clearing him of all charges, many people still refuse to accept the verdict and continue to portray him as guilty.
In a lengthy Instagram statement, Sooraj appealed to media outlets and online commentators to present the complete facts before drawing conclusions. He said the legal process lasted 14 years and ended only after the court examined the evidence and the law, making it difficult for him to understand why the matter continues to be debated as though no verdict exists.
Sooraj Says the Court Already Answered the Questions
Addressing media reports and online discussions, Sooraj urged people to rely on the official court proceedings rather than speculation. He stressed that the judicial process had examined every aspect of the case before delivering its judgment.
In his post, Sooraj wrote, “To ALL the Media pages out there! Please explain what you believe remains “unanswered,” and kindly make sure your facts are accurate. I went through a 14-year court trial. The case was decided on the basis of facts, evidence and the law. I was acquitted, and there are no “unanswered questions” from the legal proceedings. All the court records and trial proceedings are publicly available for anyone who genuinely wants to understand the facts before forming an opinion.”
He also reflected on his age when the incident occurred and how the legal battle shaped much of his adult life. The actor said, “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. 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. The court of law was the only place where I could prove my innocence. I put my faith in the judicial process, and after 14 years, I was acquitted.”
Actor Questions Continued Online Judgement
Despite receiving a clean chit from the special CBI court, Sooraj said the online scrutiny has continued. He questioned what more he could do after the legal process concluded in his favour and expressed disappointment that his silence had often been interpreted negatively.
He wrote, “If, even after that, people still choose to judge me and hold me guilty, I honestly don’t know what more I can do. Just because I have chosen to remain silent all these years doesn’t give anyone the right to write whatever they want.”
The actor also explained why he had largely stayed away from speaking publicly about Jiah Khan throughout the trial. According to Sooraj, he deliberately chose not to discuss personal matters she had shared with him because he wanted to respect her privacy despite everything that followed after her death.
Says He Chose to Protect Jiah’s Privacy
Explaining his decision to remain silent for years, Sooraj wrote, “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. For many of you, this may just be another story or another headline. For me, it has been my entire life. Every careless headline, every misleading video, and every false narrative reopens a chapter I have spent years trying to survive. 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 🙏🏽”
Jiah Khan was found dead at her residence in Mumbai’s Juhu on June 3, 2013. Following her death, Sooraj Pancholi was arrested after investigators recovered a six-page letter reportedly written by the actor. He was charged with abetment of suicide, arrested in June 2013 and granted bail the following month. Throughout the trial, Sooraj maintained that he had been falsely implicated, and after the case concluded, the special CBI court acquitted him.
Although the legal proceedings have ended, Sooraj’s latest statement reflects the emotional toll the case continues to have on his life. By publicly addressing the criticism once again, the actor has urged people to look at the complete judicial record before forming opinions based on headlines or social media discussions.
