Bombay HC Orders CBI Probe Into Disha Salian Death Case

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into the death of former celebrity manager Disha Salian after her father raised suspicion about the circumstances in which she passed away in 2020.

A bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale said the CBI shall register an FIR and record the statement of the deceased's father, Satish Salian, but no person shall be treated as an accused until and unless there is sufficient material gathered against them during the probe. The court ordered the Mumbai police to hand over all case papers to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) forthwith.

The court stated that a senior CBI officer will be appointed as the investigating officer. The officer will record the petitioner’s statement, formally register the case, and investigate all aspects of the circumstances surrounding Disha Salian's death. The investigation will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

"In case the investigation reveals that no case is made out, then the CBI shall file the appropriate summary report before the court concerned," the bench said. Satish Salian would be at liberty to challenge the report, the court added.

The High Court clarified that the petitioner retains the right to file a protest petition challenging any such summary (final) report. The petition was disposed of subject to these directions.

Speaking to the media after the verdict, Advocate Nilesh Ojha, representing Disha's father, said the Court has directed the CBI to register an FIR, appoint a senior officer to conduct the investigation, and the Malvani Police Station to hand over all records to the CBI.

"If the CBI submits a negative report, we have the right to raise objections and file a protest petition. The court has explicitly stated this in its order. I thank the court," he said.

"The process of justice has begun today. True justice will be served only when the accused in this case are arrested and convicted," Ojha said.

Disha Salian's father Satish was visibly emotional after the court verdict. "I have been waiting for this for 6 years. There is no reason to be happy. I have lost my daughter. I feel relieved today. That's all. I folded my hands and expressed my gratitude to him (the judge)," Satish told reporters.

"I will not rest until the real culprits are put behind bars. I have been raising this issue for a year, but the Mumbai Police paid no heed to us," he added.

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. The city police then registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

After conducting an inquiry, the police claimed that Disha Salian's death was a case of suicide. Her father, however, filed a petition in the HC last year alleging that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered.

Satish sought a CBI probe into his daughter's death and for an FIR to be registered against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. In his plea, he claimed that his daughter was found dead under mysterious circumstances. He alleged that she was raped and murdered, and subsequently there was a politically orchestrated cover-up to protect certain influential persons.

The state government maintained that, according to the preliminary investigation by the Mumbai Police, the case was one of suicide.

Aaditya Thackeray, who had filed an intervention petition, contended through senior counsel Sudeep Pasbola that he was being implicated solely due to political vendetta and that no criminal case could be registered against him merely on someone’s say-so.

Read More

1. Disha Salian Committed Suicide, No Foul Play Found in Probe: Police Tell HC
2. Late Celebrity Manager Disha Salian's Father Meets Senior Cop, Seeks Action On His Complaint