Family and friends of Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, who allegedly committed suicide at her Mumbai apartment four months ago, gathered here for a memorial service today
The special service at Brompton Oratory church in central London took place metres away from the actress' home and school in the city. Her mother, Rabiya Amin, was joined by her two London-based daughters Kavita and Karishma and childhood friends, colleagues and close family members.u00a0
ADVERTISEMENT
Amin, who filed a petition in the Bombay High Court earlier this month claiming her daughter was murdered, said she will be flying back to Mumbai soon to carry on her fight for justice. "Those gathered today have known Jiah since childhood and are here to offer prayers that her soul finds peace and here on earth she gets justice," she said after the service conducted in the name of Nafisa Jiah's birth name.
"I will be going back to Mumbai soon to push on with my demand for a proper investigation to get to the root of this tragic incident. There is no way Jiah could have committed suicide. She was a very spiritual girl who loved her family and work a lot.
There is definitely foul play involved," said Amin in reference to her petition. The petition filed in Mumbai on October 1 alleges that 25-year-old Jiah may have been hanged after being killed to make it look like suicide.
It is expected to come up for hearing in the city next week. Jiah, who grew up in London before moving to Mumbai to make her Bollywood debut opposite Amitabh Bachchan in 'Nishabd', was found hanging in her Juhu apartment on June 3. Her boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi, son of actor Aditya Pancholi, had been arrested soon after on charges of abetting her suicide and granted bail three weeks later.
"When I had seen her body my eyes were immediately drawn to the injuries. They were not natural and it seemed obvious she had been beaten up. I have since been urging the police to investigate further as I also found blood stains in the bedroom and a twisted drawer handle. But my pleas were constantly dismissed," Amin said speaking in Urdu. "It is completely out of character.
There is no way Jiah would have taken her own life. We spoke every day and she was always joking and laughing," said her sister Karishma. Jiah's childhood friend Maha added, "She was just such a beautiful and vibrant girl. It is so sad what has happened. She could not have done this. There should be an inquiry so that the truth can come out and justice is done." u00a0
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
