Following Bombay HC Order, CBI Registers FIR In Disha Salian Death Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR in connection with the 2020 death of Disha Salian, the former manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

The FIR comes 12 days after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to register a case and investigate the circumstances surrounding Salian's death, after questioning the manner in which Mumbai Police had handled the matter for several years.

Salian, 28, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a high-rise residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. Mumbai Police had initially registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in connection with the incident.

She had worked as a celebrity manager and was associated with actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died six days later at his Bandra residence.

On September 2, a division bench of Justices S V Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale, while ordering the CBI probe, directed that a senior and experienced officer be assigned to investigate the case. The Court had also made it clear that no person should be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerged against them during the investigation.

The Court had further directed that if the investigation did not disclose any criminality, the CBI should file an appropriate summary report before the competent court.

The CBI probe follows a petition filed by Salian's father, Satish Salian, seeking registration of an FIR and a fresh investigation into his daughter's death. He alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered and sought an investigation by the central agency.

The High Court's proceedings had focused heavily on how the Mumbai Police handled the case. During the hearing, the bench questioned why the matter had remained under an Accidental Death Report (ADR) inquiry for years without an FIR being registered despite allegations raising suspicion about the circumstances of Salian's death.

In its earlier proceedings, the court had examined the distinction between an inquiry into an unnatural death and a regular criminal investigation. The bench questioned whether an inquiry under Section 174 of the CrPC, now corresponding to Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), could substitute for an investigation into a cognizable offense.

The court had observed that such an inquiry could not give anyone a "clean chit" in relation to allegations of a cognizable offense.

The bench had also clarified that it was not concluding that Salian had been raped or murdered. Rather, it was examining whether the allegations and material before it warranted registration of an FIR and a proper investigation. "We are not conclusively saying rape or murder was committed," the court said.

The Maharashtra government had defended the investigation conducted by Mumbai Police. The state relied on material including spot panchnamas, witness statements, forensic material, CCTV footage and mobile call records, and maintained that the evidence did not disclose foul play. The state also referred to the statement of Salian's fiancé, Rohan Roy.

A Special Investigation Team had earlier examined the matter. In July 2025, the SIT informed the high court that it had found no foul play in Salian's death, while its investigation was continuing.

The plea was opposed by senior advocate Sudeep Pasbola, appearing for Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, whose name was named in the allegations. Pasbola argued that the petition was politically motivated and that Salian's father had been used by political opponents seeking to target Thackeray.

"Somebody else wants to knock down Thackeray. The father of the victim has become a tool," Pasbola told the court. Thackeray had denied the allegations and maintained that the proceedings were an attempt to tarnish his reputation.

Satish Salian had initially told police in 2020 that he did not suspect foul play and was satisfied with the investigation. He later changed his position and approached the high court seeking a fresh probe, alleging that his daughter had been gang-raped and murdered.