The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR into the death of Disha Salian, the former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, nearly six years after her death and following a direction from the Bombay High Court.
The FIR names several individuals for investigation and sets out allegations ranging from criminal conspiracy and an alleged cover-up to the purported creation and propagation of what it describes as a “false suicide story.
Among those named in the FIR are Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, Rohan Roy, actors Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi, Aaditya Thackeray’s bodyguards, Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty, former police officer Sachin Vaze, former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, DCP Vishal Thakur and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, along with police personnel, forensic officials, doctors and several other individuals, also find mention in the FIR.
What the CBI FIR says
According to the FIR, the investigation will examine not only the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death but also the alleged events that followed it.
The document alleges that “the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, father of Aaditya Thackeray, and others also played a significant role in the conspiracy and subsequent cover-up.”
It further alleges that certain public servants and police officers may have to be investigated over the alleged destruction or suppression of case papers and public records, fabrication of official records and misuse of public funds, manpower and police machinery.
The FIR says the named individuals will be examined in connection with the alleged principal offences, criminal conspiracy, the purported subsequent creation and propagation of a “false suicide story”, and allegations relating to the suppression, destruction or fabrication of evidence.
The list extends beyond politicians and prominent names.
Police officers associated with Malvani Police Station, doctors and staff involved in Salian’s post-mortem, officials of the Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina, security guards at Regent Galaxy Building, members of the special investigation team and several unidentified individuals have also been included for investigation.
It is important to note that the allegations contained in an FIR are accusations requiring investigation and are not findings of guilt.
What happened to Disha Salian?
Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) rather than an FIR at the time.
Salian had worked briefly as Sushant Singh Rajput’s manager.
Just six days later, on June 14, Rajput was found dead at his residence in Bandra. The proximity of the two deaths led to intense speculation over whether the cases were connected, although authorities investigated them separately.
The controversy surrounding Rajput’s death eventually resulted in a CBI investigation. The agency subsequently submitted a closure report concluding that Rajput had died by suicide. That report, however, is yet to be heard by the competent court.
Bombay High Court questioned Mumbai Police investigation
The latest CBI probe follows an order of the Bombay High Court earlier this month.
The court directed the CBI to investigate Salian’s death and raised serious questions about the manner in which the Mumbai Police had handled the case over the preceding six years.
The bench observed that the police investigation “raises more questions than answers” and questioned why the matter had continued to be treated as an accidental death.
The court also pointed to what it described as “glaring discrepancies” in the investigation.
The High Court’s intervention effectively brings a fresh central investigation into a case that had remained the subject of intense public debate since 2020.
What did Disha Salian’s father say?
Salian’s father, Satish Salian, had previously made allegations against Aaditya Thackeray and actor Dino Morea in connection with his daughter’s death.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, he said he had provided investigators with the information available to him and named several people whom he wanted authorities to examine.
“I stated the facts exactly as they were; I told them everything that happened to my daughter,” Satish Salian said, adding that he had named Aaditya Thackeray, Sooraj Pancholi, Dino Morea and the bodyguards.
He said investigators had recorded the information and assured him that proceedings would follow.
“The truth cannot be defeated. God stands where the truth is; that is why justice will be served,” he said.
Mumbai Police had earlier maintained, following its inquiry, that Salian had died by suicide.
The CBI investigation now puts the circumstances surrounding her death, as well as the allegations of conspiracy, evidence suppression and an alleged cover-up, under fresh scrutiny. The investigation will determine whether the allegations contained in the FIR are substantiated by evidence.
