Rabia Khan

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rabia Khan

• Rabia Khan is a former Indian actor and writer who worked in Hindi films for a short period of time.

• She hails from Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

  

• Rabia wanted to become an actor for which she decided to move from Agra to Mumbai.

• Reportedly, Aamir Khan‘s father, Tahir Hussain, spotted her in Dehradun, Uttarakhand following which she moved to Mumbai and started living with the Khan family.

• While residing at Tahir Hussain’s residence in Mumbai, Rabia converted from Christianity to Islam and acquired Urdu language proficiency and acting skills under the guidance of Tahir Hussain’s wife, Zeenat Hussain.

• After her debut in Hindi cinema, Rabia featured in many films including ‘Meri Jung’ (1985), ‘Geraftaar’ (1985), ‘Ankush’ (1986), and ‘Ek Naya Rishta’ (1988). After a brief acting career, she transitioned to working as a scriptwriter for a UK-based television series and as a concept writer for the BBC.

• Following her marriage to an Indian-American businessman named Ali Rizvi Khan, Rabia, along with her husband, relocated to the United States, where she gave birth to Nafisa Rizvi Khan (popularly known as Jiah Khan), whom she fondly called ‘babe,’ ‘baby,’ ‘bebo,’ and ‘snow baby.’ The relationship between Ali Rizvi and Rabia deteriorated with time, leading Ali to part ways with Rabia when their daughter Jiah was only three months old.

  

• In late 1989, Rabia, along with Jiah, moved to London, the United Kingdom. After her separation from Ali Rizvi Khan, Rabia went on to marry Thomas Puppendahl, with whom she has two daughters, Karishma and Kavita Khan. While the family was residing in London, Thomas left them; Jiah was just seven years old at the time. In an interview, Jiah Khan revealed that her stepfather not only took the family’s savings when he left but also managed to gain ownership of their home. Consequently, Rabia and her daughters were forced to live in a rented house in London on a strict budget. Jiah further shared that they primarily relied on McDonald’s burgers to make ends meet. ^[6]Hindustan Times

• There were reports that Aamir Khan was Jiah’s stepfather; however, in an interview, Aamir Khan talked about this and clarified that although he shared a close friendship with Rabia, he had never been married to her, and Jiah was not his daughter.

• According to sources, Rabia tried securing a role for her daughter Jiah Khan in a Bollywood film through her contacts; however, Jiah got her breakthrough in 2007 in the film ‘Nishabd’ in which she appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan.

• On 3 June 2013, Jiah Khan committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan of her bedroom at her residence in Sagar Sangeet Apartment, Juhu, Mumbai. On 7 June 2013, Mumbai police found a suicide letter at Jiah’s residence that discussed her intimate relationship, physical abuse, and emotional and physical torment. In the letter, Jiah disclosed that she had an abortion with Sooraj Pancholi, the son of esteemed actor Aditya Pancholi, being the alleged father. The letter also revolved around the physical and mental torture that Jiah had been facing after being in a relationship with Sooraj.
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Following the discovery of the suicide note, Sooraj Pancholi was taken into custody on 10 June 2013 on charges of abetting suicide as per Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Mumbai High Court, however, granted him bail on 1 July 2013, stating that he could not be deemed solely accountable for the incident.

  

• Rabia Khan has claimed that Jiah’s death was a murder and identified Sooraj Pancholi as the prime suspect. She also alleges financial misconduct involving money and jewellery. In an interview, Rabia talked about this and said that Jiah gave Sooraj a large sum to buy jewellery for her sister’s 21st birthday, but he neither procured the jewellery nor informed Jiah about the money. Despite apologizing and sending flowers, which Jiah discarded, she confronted Sooraj about the money; Jiah never divulged the confrontation’s outcome. Rabia also revealed that Jiah shared her apartment’s biometric lock with Sooraj, heightening her suspicion of his involvement in Jiah’s death. Conversely, Sooraj asserted that Jiah struggled with depression, and he had attempted to help her multiple times. He also claimed to have informed Rabia about Jiah’s condition, but she took no action, leading to Jiah’s suicide.

• On 1 October 2013, Rabia appealed to the Bombay High Court, claiming her daughter Jiah Khan’s death was a murder and demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case. On 2 July 2014, the case was handed over to the CBI, which later filed a chargesheet against Sooraj Pancholi. In 2016, the CBI dismissed any foul play and informed the High Court that Jiah Khan’s death was indeed a suicide. Unsatisfied with the conclusion, Rabia enlisted the help of British forensic expert Jason Payne James, who asserted that Jiah’s death was not a suicide. Rabia later submitted a plea to the Bombay High Court, requesting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the case; however, the Bombay High Court dismissed her plea in February 2017.

  

• In September 2017, Rabia Khan penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking justice for her daughter. She subsequently approached the special CBI court in Mumbai and filed a plea requesting further investigation into the case; however, the court rejected her plea.

• In 2021, Jiah’s case was transferred to a special CBI court after the sessions court stated it lacked jurisdiction due to the CBI probe. In 2022, the Bombay High Court dismissed Rabia’s petition, which requested a new investigation into the case.

• On 28 April 2023, the special CBI court in Mumbai acquitted Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan suicide case. In its judgment, the court said that Jiah Khan’s mother “destroyed the case of the prosecution” by giving contradictory statements and withholding facts. The special CBI court judge A. S. Sayyad, in his judgement, said,
  

  In the instant case it cannot be ignored that the deceased had suicidal tendency. She had on earlier occassion attempted suicide and that time accused had called for doctor. The accused had treated her and had tried to get her out of depression. At the relevant time the accused was pursuing his career in acting and could not devote sufficient time for the deceased. However on the earlier occassion, when she tried to commit suicide, the accused had saved her and helped her to come out of the depression. Rabia through her evidence tried to show that Jiah never committed suicide and that she was killed by the accused (Pancholi). However, this is not the case of the prosecution. When the case of the prosecution was of suicide, Rabia kept claiming that it was murder. By giving such openly contradictory evidence the complainant herself destroyed the case of the prosecution.”

• While reacting to the verdict, Rabia Khan, said that she will challenge the verdict in the high court. Rabia Khan, in an interview, said,
  

  The charge of abetment to suicide has gone. But how did my child die? This is a case of murder…will approach the high court. The verdict is on alleged suicide, but I have always maintained that Jiah was murdered. This, in fact, strengthens my case.”