Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi has recently opened up about the deeply traumatic period he endured during his imprisonment in connection with the Jiah Khan suicide case. In a candid interview, Pancholi revealed the harsh realities of his time in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, including being held in solitary confinement in the very cell previously occupied by 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab.
Pancholi, who was arrested in 2013 on charges of abetment to suicide following Jiah Khan’s death, described his jail stint as a hazy, dream-like nightmare. “It’s all hazy. I was just a 21-year-old boy at the time. I was sent to Arthur Road Jail and put in the ‘anda cell’ (solitary confinement). I was in the same cell where they had put Kasab,” he stated, highlighting the stark conditions he faced.
The actor recounted the dehumanizing treatment he received, emphasizing that he was treated “like I’d done a bomb blast.” He detailed the lack of basic amenities, revealing, “I didn’t even have a pillow; I’d sleep on newspapers.” This period of solitary confinement, combined with the severe accusations against him, took a significant toll on the young actor.
Pancholi expressed that it took him several years to fully process the magnitude of what he had gone through. “It was four or five years later that I understood what exactly I had been through. When it was happening, it all felt like a dream,” he shared, reflecting on the psychological impact of his incarceration.
After a decade-long legal battle, Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted of all charges in 2023 by a special CBI court due to a lack of evidence. Despite his acquittal, he noted that the public perception remains a challenge.
Pancholi’s experience sheds light on the often-overlooked personal struggles faced by individuals entangled in high-profile legal cases, particularly within the glare of the media spotlight. His recent revelations provide a somber glimpse into a difficult chapter of his life, which he is now trying to move past as he works to rebuild his career.