Cops probing Jiah death have no clue on FBI help offer

Jiah was found dead in her room, her body hanging by the ceiling fan, on June 3 last year.

“We have not received any letter and there has been no communication from the crime branch or the US investigating agency about the probe on Jiah Khan’s death,” said Vishwas Nangre-Patil, additional commissioner of police (West region).

When contacted, Niket Kaushik, additional commissioner of police (crime branch), said the letter had been forwarded to Nangre-Patil’s office long back. The letter had been received by the crime branch on January 27 this year, offering to help the Mumbai police with their investigations into Jiah’s death.

Officers had at the time said that the Mumbai police would remain the primary investigating authority in the case and would notify the US government in case any assistance was needed.

In a letter written to Rabya, acting chief of the consular section, Aaron M Hellman, had written, “We have reached out to the office of our legal attache at the US embassy in New Delhi. An FBI official is willing to send a letter to the Indian Police Services to offer US’s technical technical and forensic assistance in the investigation of Nafisa’s (Jiah) death.”

“Of course Indian authorities would have to directly request assistance in response to the FBI’s offer,” the letter added.

Rabya and her lawyer Dinesh Tiwari were subsequently called to the consulate office at Bandra-Kurla Complex and were informed that an approval from Home Minister R R Patil had been sought.

Rabya also plans to file a petition in the Bombay High Court in a week, saying the police had suppressed facts in its probe and filed a chargesheet claiming Jiah had committed suicide.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com