Bombay High Court Orders CBI to Register FIR in Disha Salian Death Case

The Bombay High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to register a first information report and conduct a thorough investigation into the June 8, 2020, death of celebrity manager Disha Salian. Salian, 28, died in suburban Mumbai just days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Bandra flat on June 14, an event her father has claimed is interlinked.

A bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and RR Bhonsale observed that the circumstances surrounding Salian's death presented glaring discrepancies that necessitated a substantive investigation of a cognisable offence. The court noted that the police inquiry carried out so far raised more questions than it answered, making an independent investigation by the federal agency necessary.

The judges pointed to several irregularities in the record, including a delayed spot panchanama conducted nine hours later on June 9. According to the court, the delay indicated that police were not initially treating the matter as a straightforward accidental death and suspected foul play. The bench also questioned details concerning injuries, including whether they matched a fall from that height, issues regarding clothing, and the presence of unidentified police officers captured on CCTV footage around 1 am on June 9 who were not referenced in the Accidental Death Report.

Salian's father had approached the court seeking an investigation into the death as a murder rather than a suicide or accident. His counsel, Nilesh Ojha, argued that the death resulted from a conspiracy involving influential figures. Public prosecutor Shishir Hiray maintained that Salian died by suicide without foul play, pointing out that initial parent statements raised no suspicions.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray had intervened through counsel Sudeep Pasbola, stating that allegations made against him were baseless and politically motivated. The court stressed that it made no observations against any specific person, ordering the CBI not to treat anyone as an accused unless sufficient grounds emerge during the probe.

Criticising the previous police procedure under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the bench stated that an inquiry under this provision cannot drag on for years across multiple stages. The court gave the CBI full authority to investigate all aspects of the case, adding that if no offence is established, the agency must submit a closure report.