Disha Salian Death Case: Bombay High Court Orders CBI Probe, Directs FIR Registration

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to launch a probe into the death of Disha Salian, a former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. Ordering the investigation, a division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale sharply criticized the Mumbai Police for treating the celebrity manager's death as an accident for six years, stating that the force's probe was marked by "glaring discrepancies" and "raises more questions than it answers."

The court's order came in response to a petition filed by Disha's father, Satish Salian, who had long alleged foul play in his daughter's death. Salian said he had initially accepted the police's conclusion that his daughter had died by suicide, but later came to suspect murder and told the court he believed the original investigation had been used to cover up the true circumstances of her death. His allegations reportedly included claims of gang rape and murder, along with questions over delays in accessing the post-mortem report.

In its 44-page judgment, the high court directed the CBI to register an FIR, appoint a senior officer to lead the investigation, and take over all relevant case records from Mumbai's Malvani police station. The bench noted that police had sufficient opportunity over the years to properly investigate the case but failed to register an FIR or resolve the discrepancies in their findings, concluding that a case of this nature could not be allowed to remain unresolved for such an extended period without a substantive central agency inquiry.

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The Maharashtra government, represented by Mumbai Police, had told the court that no evidence of foul play was found and maintained that Disha had either died by suicide or fallen accidentally. A second police investigation, ordered after Salian raised fresh concerns, continued for years and ultimately reaffirmed the original suicide conclusion in a report submitted in April 2026 and accepted the following month. Chief Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray had questioned why Salian did not suspect anyone despite recording statements with police on multiple occasions, though the court ultimately found the overall police handling of the matter unsatisfactory.

Importantly, the court clarified that its order does not amount to naming anyone as an accused, stating explicitly that no individual would be treated as a suspect unless the CBI's investigating officer uncovers sufficient material against them. This clarification carried particular weight given that Satish Salian had sought an FIR against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and others whose names he had raised in connection with the case. The high court declined to make any remarks against specific individuals, leaving it to the CBI to determine, through its investigation, whether any cognizable offence had occurred.

Disha Salian's death drew significant public attention in part because it occurred just days before Sushant Singh Rajput, the actor she had worked for as a manager, was found dead at his Bandra residence — a case that similarly triggered years of public scrutiny and competing theories. Following Wednesday's ruling, Satish Salian expressed gratitude to the court, saying he finally felt he had received justice after six years of pursuing the matter. His advocate, Nilesh Ojha, said the CBI has also been directed to record Salian's statement, and that the family retains the right to file a protest petition should the agency's eventual findings not support their claims. The case now moves to a fresh CBI investigation, the outcome of which will determine whether any further legal action follows.

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