

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Jiah Khan 's mother has sought US help regarding her alleged suicide, while lamenting that her charges that her daughter was murdered were thwarted by a chargesheet that accused, actor Sooraj Pancholi of abetment.

Presenting two emails allegedly received from the US Consulate, Rabia Khan (59) said she had sought its intervention as Jiah was a US citizen and the Mumbai Police refused to investigate the murder angle. "I received an email this morning (Wednesday) which states that the US legal attaché with the US Embassy in New Delhi has presented a request letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation , which will forward it to the local authorities. The letter states that the attaché needs to wait until the Indian authorities agree to partner them in investigations," Rabia said.

She said a meeting had been scheduled with a consulate representative on Monday.

The British citizen also said the first email she received after she sought US help stated that a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official in the office of the US legal attaché with the US Embassy in New Delhi had agreed to send a letter to the Indian Police Services to offer US forensic and technical assistance in the investigation. The email, a copy of which is with TOI, stated, "While the FBI cannot conduct unilateral investigations outside the United States, it can review your daughter's case in an advisory role, if requested by the Indian law enforcement (authorities)."

The 447-page chargesheet, filed last week, lists 36 witnesses, some of whose statements have been recorded again after a high court order, directing the police to probe allegations of murder. But the chargesheet concluded that contrary to Rabia's claims Jiah's body did not have any injury marks besides ligature marks on the neck. The police said witnesses had not seen bloodstains, mud or footmarks, as alleged by Rabia.

Revealing that she was set to move the Bombay high court against the chargesheet, Rabia alleged that investigators had ignored forensic evidence that showed that Jiah was killed. "Their reports are inconclusive and tailor-made to benefit the accused," she said, demanding a special investigating authority or CBI investigation.

"Despite the HC telling them to reinvestigate the case, they appeared to proceed with the mindset that it was suicide," Rabi said, expressing anger as she was not informed about the filing of the chargesheet despite being a complainant.

