Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, May 28: Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was acquitted last year in the high-profile Jiah Khan death case, has made startling revelations about his time behind bars — claiming he was treated like a terrorist and placed in the same ‘anda cell’ at Arthur Road Jail that once housed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Speaking candidly on the Hindi Rush podcast, Sooraj recalled the traumatic ordeal he faced at the age of just 21. “It’s all hazy,” he said. “I was sent to Arthur Road Jail and put in solitary confinement… the same place where they had kept Kasab. They treated me like I had done a bomb blast.”

At one point during the interview, his representatives appeared to signal him to stop, but Sooraj insisted on continuing. “Let me talk, it’s the fact… it is what it is,” he said firmly.

Describing the grim conditions, the actor said, “I didn’t even have a pillow. I slept on newspapers. They treated me terribly, like I’d committed some horrible crime. I’m not exaggerating. Only after four or five years did I truly understand what I had gone through. It all felt like a dream when it was happening.”

The actor’s arrest followed the tragic death of actress Jiah Khan in 2013, which had sent shockwaves across the nation. The case, initially probed by Mumbai Police and later taken over by the CBI, accused Sooraj of abetment to suicide. However, in April 2023, Special Judge A S Sayyad acquitted him, citing lack of evidence and observing that Jiah appeared to be “a victim of her own emotions.”

Despite the acquittal, Jiah’s mother, Rabia Khan, has refused to give up. Speaking to CNN News18 last year, she maintained her stand, asserting, “This is a case of murder. The abetment to suicide case has gone, but the murder case is still there. I will not give up hope… I will approach the High Court, Supreme Court — whatever is required to get justice for my daughter.”

Now 33, Sooraj Pancholi is slowly rebuilding his career. He recently returned to the silver screen with his latest release, Kesari Veer, and has been receiving support from segments of the film fraternity. After the verdict, he had posted a brief but emotional note on social media: “The Truth always wins!”

While the legal battle around Jiah Khan’s death continues to stir debate and emotion, Sooraj’s revelations offer a glimpse into the toll such high-stakes cases can take — especially on young lives caught in the storm of public scrutiny and judicial delays.