CBI Registers FIR in Disha Salian Death Case Following High Court Order

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the death of Disha Salian, the former celebrity manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The move follows a direct order from the Bombay High Court, which earlier this month mandated that the central agency take over the investigation after criticizing the Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR for six years. The court observed that the initial police inquiry, which concluded the death was a suicide, raised significant questions and contained glaring discrepancies.

The newly registered FIR encompasses serious allegations, including murder, gang-rape, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, and providing false information. According to the FIR, the investigation will examine the roles of several high-profile individuals, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Rhea Chakraborty, and Sooraj Pancholi. The document also lists former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, and former police officer Sachin Vaze among those whose roles require scrutiny.

The CBI FIR alleges that a significant conspiracy and subsequent cover-up occurred, involving the fabrication of official records and the misuse of public machinery to shield offenders. The agency is tasked with investigating the alleged suppression of case papers and the propagation of what the FIR describes as a false suicide narrative. The scope of the probe extends to various police officers, forensic officials at the Kalina laboratory, and medical staff involved in the post-mortem process.

Disha Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in the Malad area of Mumbai. At the time, the Mumbai Police registered the case as an Accidental Death Report (ADR). The current legal proceedings were triggered by a petition filed by Satish Salian, the father of the deceased, who alleged that his daughter was murdered and gang-raped. He has consistently maintained that the initial police investigation was flawed and failed to provide the family with essential documents, such as the post-mortem report, for six years.

Last week, Satish Salian recorded his formal statement before the CBI. Speaking to the media, he stated, "I stated the facts exactly as they were; I told them everything that happened to my daughter. I listed all the names: Aditya, Sooraj Pancholi, Dino Morea, and the bodyguards. They noted everything down." The CBI has since requested all relevant documents and records from the Mumbai Police to facilitate its ongoing investigation. The case remains in its initial stages under the central agency, with no further court hearings or procedural deadlines currently disclosed beyond the mandate to conduct a thorough probe.