Mumbai: A scientific officer of CFSL, a clinical psychologist, who had conducted a forensic psychological assessment on actor Sooraj Pancholi, told the special CBI court that the interview given by him to her seemed to be incomplete and fabricated on relevant issues indicating that he was concealing relevant information about actual reasons behind the alleged suicide of his girlfriend, actor Jiah Khan.

Sooraj is currently facing trial on charges of abetting the 2013 suicide. In her cross-examination by defence advocate Prashant Patil, while the witness admitted that she had given her final opinion based only on the 12 questions given to her by the investigating officer, she denied that her assessment was false and fabricated to support the CBI. “It is not correct to say that I finalised the said report after confirmation with the investigating officer,” the witness said.

During her examination in chief by special public prosecutor Manoj Chaladan, the witness said that during the interview conducted at the CSFL office in 2015 she had asked Sooraj whether he was hiding the actual content of the last conversation as the breakdown of the relationship could not develop in a single day.

“On that question he gave evasive response and became silent with bent head. Sooraj Pancholi was hiding details of last conservation with Nafisa or Zia (sic), that may be caused her death or suicide,” the witness said. She said since it was very important to know Jiah’s state of mind before the incident, she asked Sooraj about his last conservation with her.

During her cross examination by Patil the woman said that she came to know from Sooraj that Jiah had suffered childhood trauma and in response to a separate query accepted that if a mental health patient is not treated on time, the situation may aggravate. She also accepted that to know one’s “psychological state of mind” their childhood trauma and their relationship with immediate blood relative was important. “The investigating officer has not recommended to me to conduct the examination of the mother and sister of deceased,” the woman said.

The woman told the court that “Forensic Psychological Assessment” is a useful technique of psychological evaluation and helps the examiner find out whether a person is guilty or not. The woman, the 15th prosecution witness who said she had assisted CBI in over 1,000 matters, had examined letters and notes allegedly written by Jiah.

Referring to one letter allegedly written by Jiah to Sooraj, the witness in her deposition before special judge AS Sayyad said through the letter she thanked and apologized to him. Pointing to another letter, she said “From the contents of the document that, 'I know you are young and I am very sensitive', would reflect the deceased was sensitive nature. ”