Aditya Pancholi: My son has done no wrong

Mumbai: Suraj Pancholi’s father Aditya Pancholi says his son is not guilty and that his current jail experience will make him stronger.

A Mumbai court on Friday deferred the hearing of Pancholi’s bail plea until June 21. He is being held on the charge of abetting the suicide of actress Jiah Khan.

“Let my son stay in jail a little longer. It will make him tougher and wiser. He has done no wrong. So, this experience can only make him strong,” said Aditya calmly.

Khan committed suicide at her residence in Mumbai’s Juhu area June 3. She was 25.

On June 8 police recovered a note purportedly written by the actress talking about her disturbed relationship with her boyfriend and claiming that he abused her mentally and physically. Two days later Mumbai police arrested Pancholi in connection with Khan’s suicide.

Aditya and his wife Zarina Wahab had been confident that Pancholi would be granted bail on Friday.

A friend of the couple said that it seems Pancholi is “unlikely to be released in the immediate future”.

“Suraj is unlikely to get any special privileges like a separate cell or homemade food. The prospect of seeing their son suffer in jail has hit the Pancholis hard. Aditya specially has taken it very badly,” added the friend.

The friend says the image of the raging troubled star-son in the press is not quite what Pancholi is.

“The story about Pancholi suffering from fits of rage is highly exaggerated. When Pancholi gets angry, he goes completely quiet. Pancholi is completely his mama’s boy. He has grown up with his grandmother, far away from his father. So Pancholi has never been a witness to his father’s wayward ways. This whole run-in with the law is totally unexpected...But he’s also a strong chap. When he sees his parents, he comforts them and assures them all would be well, rather than the parents comforting him,” said the friend.