The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR into the death of Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, nearly six years after her death in Mumbai, following a direction from the Bombay High Court for a fresh and comprehensive investigation.
CBI officials said on Monday that the agency had registered the case and begun its investigation, including recording statements. The development comes days after the Bombay High Court slammed the Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR despite the case remaining under investigation for nearly six years.
On September 2, a Division Bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale directed the CBI to register an FIR and conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Salian's death.
The court also directed the Mumbai Police to hand over all documents relating to the case to the central agency and asked the CBI to record the statement of Salian's father, Satish Salian.
The court said the police investigation “raises more questions than answers” and pointed to “glaring discrepancies” in the manner in which the case had been handled. It said an investigation could not continue for an “inordinately long period” without reaching a substantive conclusion.
The court, however, made it clear that the registration of an FIR should not be construed as a finding of guilt against any individual.
“Nobody shall be treated as an accused unless, in the opinion of the investigating officer, there are sufficient grounds to raise reasonable suspicion against him depending on the material collected during the investigation,” the court said.
Names given to investigators
Salian, who had sought an FIR and a CBI probe into his daughter's death, has told investigators that he wanted them to examine several people in connection with the circumstances surrounding her death.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, he said he had provided the agency with details of what he knew and listed the names of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, actor Sooraj Pancholi, actor-producer Dino Morea and several bodyguards.
“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. They said they would take action based on what I told them; the proceedings would begin in a few days,” he said.
“The truth cannot be defeated. God stands where the truth is; that is why justice will be served,” he added.
The names have been mentioned by Salian as persons he wants the investigating agency to examine; the Bombay High Court has not held any of them responsible for Salian's death.
Thackeray has denied the allegations, describing the petition seeking an investigation as false, frivolous and politically motivated.
The High Court said that if the CBI investigation showed that no case was made out, the agency should file an appropriate summary report before the court concerned, leaving Salian at liberty to challenge the findings.
Disha Salian, 28, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 12th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. The Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and subsequently maintained, following an inquiry, that it was a case of suicide.
Her death, coming six days before Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020, triggered widespread speculation about a possible connection between the two cases.
The Bombay High Court subsequently questioned the manner in which the Mumbai Police had handled the Salian case, including the failure to register an FIR despite allegations surrounding her death.
The court also took note of concerns regarding the availability of case documents, including the post-mortem report and ADR, to Salian's family.
The public uproar following Rajput's death led to a separate CBI investigation. The agency later submitted a closure report stating that Rajput had died by suicide. The report is yet to be considered by the competent court.
The CBI investigation into Disha Salian's case has also drawn a response from Rajput's sister, Shweta Singh Kirti, who expressed hope that the circumstances surrounding Salian's death would be established.
“Truth has its own power… it can be suppressed for some time, troubled, but it cannot be defeated,” she said in a social media post, welcoming the CBI inquiry and saying it had given hope to many of Rajput's followers.
The CBI will now examine the circumstances surrounding Salian's death and the allegations raised by her family. The findings of the investigation will determine whether there is sufficient material to proceed against any individual.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
