CBI Registers FIR in Disha Salian Death Case, Fresh Probe Begins Six Years After Her Death
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR in connection with the 2020 death of Disha Salian, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The development comes after the Bombay High Court directed the central agency to conduct a fresh and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The CBI registered the case after recording a fresh statement from Salian’s father, Satish Salian, at its Mumbai office. Officials have confirmed that the investigation has begun and that statements are being recorded as part of the initial process.
The Bombay High Court’s September 2 order was the key trigger for the new investigation. The court criticised the Mumbai Police for allowing the matter to remain unresolved for nearly six years and observed that the existing investigation “raises more questions than answers”. The bench also pointed to what it described as “glaring discrepancies” in the earlier inquiry.
Salian, who was 28 at the time of her death, died in June 2020 after falling from a high-rise residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. Mumbai Police initially registered an Accidental Death Report and subsequently concluded that she had died by suicide, finding no evidence of foul play.
The High Court has now ordered the Mumbai Police to transfer the relevant case material to the CBI. It also directed the agency to record the statement of Salian’s father. Importantly, the court made clear that registration of an FIR does not by itself establish the guilt of any person.
The case has attracted renewed attention because Salian had briefly worked as Sushant Singh Rajput’s manager. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence six days after Salian’s death. The close timing of the two deaths generated widespread speculation about a possible connection, although the cases were investigated separately.
According to reports on the fresh FIR, allegations being examined include murder, gang rape, criminal conspiracy and an alleged cover-up. These are allegations contained in the complaint and material presented to investigators; they have not been established as facts by a court.
Some reports have identified several prominent individuals as being mentioned in the FIR, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and others. However, the Bombay High Court specifically cautioned that nobody should be treated as an accused unless the investigating officer finds sufficient material creating reasonable suspicion.
Aaditya Thackeray has previously rejected allegations against him, describing the petition seeking a fresh probe as false, frivolous and politically motivated. The High Court itself did not make any finding of guilt against him or any other individual while ordering the CBI investigation.
The High Court’s intervention effectively shifts the investigation from the earlier Mumbai Police inquiry to a central agency. The CBI will now examine the evidence, statements, police records and other material to determine whether the circumstances of Salian’s death warrant criminal charges and, if so, against whom.
The development also comes against the backdrop of the separate CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. In that case, the CBI subsequently filed a closure report concluding that Rajput died by suicide, although that report has yet to be considered by the competent court.
For now, the most significant point is that the CBI investigation has formally begun. The registration of the FIR does not establish that the allegations are true; the agency’s investigation and any subsequent judicial proceedings will determine whether the allegations are supported by evidence.
