Bombay High Court Reserves Order on Plea Seeking Probe Into Disha Salian Death

The Bombay High Court has concluded hearings and reserved its order on a petition filed by Satish Salian, father of celebrity manager Disha Salian, seeking a thorough and fair investigation into her June 2020 death in Mumbai.

Disha Salian, who previously worked as a manager for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died after falling from a building in Mumbai in June 2020. Her father approached the high court alleging that she did not die by suicide but was assaulted and murdered, and claimed that the police had failed to register his complaint.

The State government maintained before the court that preliminary inquiries by the Mumbai Police indicated Disha had died by suicide. However, a division bench comprising Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice RR Bhonsale closely examined the circumstances surrounding the incident.

During the proceedings, the bench reviewed details from the panchnama and examined photographs of the injuries sustained by Disha, questioning whether they were consistent with a fall from that height. The government submitted that Disha had fallen on her face, sustaining a skull fracture, a serious jaw injury, and other trauma. The court clarified that while it was not drawing any immediate conclusions, the circumstances required examination to determine if they raised genuine suspicion.

The court also addressed the government's argument questioning the nearly five-year delay by the family in approaching the court. The bench questioned why authorities had not registered an offence and conducted an investigation in accordance with the law during that timeframe.

The judges observed that the parents may have taken time to recover from the shock of losing their daughter. The bench also pointed out that the authorities themselves had reopened the inquiry into the matter after three to four years.

Following the conclusion of arguments from both sides, the bench reserved its order on the petition.