‘They locked me up in Ajmal Kasab’s jail cell’: Sooraj Pancholi opens up about incarceration despite protests from his PR

Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was charged with abetting the suicide of his former partner, actor Jiah Khan, opened up about the 20-odd days that he spent in Arthur Road Jail. According to Sooraj, he was put in solitary confinement, in the cell that was once occupied by 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab. He said that nobody realises that he was acquitted after several years, and that he’s still dealing with the aftermath of the case. During this time, Sooraj has tried, several times, to mount his acting career. His latest film, Kesari Veer, tanked at the box office.

In an appearance on the Hindi Rush podcast, Sooraj was asked if he would be comfortable talking about jail, and he said, “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. They treated me like I’d done a bomb blast.” At this time, Sooraj was seemingly asked to stop talking by his representatives. Looking at them off-camera, he said, “Let me talk, it’s the fact… It is what it is.”

Also read – Sooraj Pancholi reflects on legal ordeal, says couldn’t make eye-contact with family: ‘I never got to live my 20s’

He continued, “They put me where they put Kasab. I didn’t even have a pillow; I’d sleep on newspapers. They treated me terribly, like I’d committed some horrible crime. I’m not exaggerating. It was only after four or five years that I understood what I’d been through. It felt like a dream when it was happening. The CBI investigation happened… They kept me in the ‘anda cell’. It was difficult.”

After his acquittal due to lack of evidence in 2023, Sooraj posted on social media, “The Truth always wins!” Jiah Khan’s mother, however, maintained that he’s guilty of causing Jiah’s death. She told CNN News 18, “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 keep fighting. I will approach the High Court, Supreme Court, whatever is required to get justice for my daughter.”