Disha Salian Case: Bombay HC Says ‘New Evidence’ No Excuse For Delay In Final Report
"How long to examine a pen drive, two hours?" asks court, noting CrPC Section 174 mandates inquiry reports based on new evidence within 24 hours.
Published : March 23, 2026 at 5:39 PM IST
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday once again expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the state government’s handling of the petition in the Disha Salian death case. The court observed that citing "new evidence" cannot justify prolonged delays in the submission of the final report.
Remarking that the law requires such a report to be filed within 24 hours, the High Court adjourned the hearing on the petition filed by Disha's father, Satish Salian and others for two weeks.
High Court Questions Delay In Filing Final Report
The petition filed by Satish Salian alleges that Disha Salian's death was not accidental and that she was sexually assaulted before her death.
Responding to the petition, the Mumbai Police told the High Court that the preliminary phase of the investigation has been completed. According to the police, Disha’s death was accidental, and no evidence of foul play or murder has been found.
Based on this, the police argued that there was no need to register a criminal case and requested the court to dismiss the petition. An affidavit to this effect was submitted by Malvani Police Station’s Senior Police Inspector Shailendra Nagarkar.
‘How Long Does It Take To Examine A Pen Drive?’
The Maharashtra Government informed the court that although the preliminary inquiry report is ready, the investigation is still ongoing due to new evidence submitted by the petitioners through a pen drive.
Government counsel Mankunwar Deshmukh said that verification of this evidence is underway, and therefore, the final report has not yet been submitted.
The High Court, however, questioned the delay, asking, “How long does it take to examine a pen drive? Two hours?” The court further noted that under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), an inquiry report based on new evidence should be submitted within 24 hours.
The government sought an additional two weeks, stating that the Special Investigation Team's (SIT's) investigating officer would personally appear before the court to respond. The extension was granted.
During the previous hearing, the court had also questioned why the initial SIT report, if ready, had not been submitted before the magistrate.
Allegations Raise Questions On Police Probe
The petition raises serious allegations regarding the circumstances of Disha Salian’s death and the conduct of the Mumbai Police investigation.
It claims that Disha’s body was moved from behind a locked door and then thrown outside, while it was projected as a suicide by jumping from the 14th floor. The petition further alleges that there were no injury marks on her body consistent with such a fall.
It also alleges that the post-mortem was deliberately delayed by 50 hours to conceal evidence of gang rape. The family claims they were not allowed to keep the body for long and were pressured into conducting the last rites quickly.
Additionally, it is alleged that CCTV footage from the building and surrounding areas mysteriously disappeared on the day of the incident, and that mobile location data and call detail records (CDR) of several individuals present at the scene were not recorded.
Satish Salian’s Claims: “My Daughter Could Not Have Committed Suicide”
In the petition, Satish Salian stated that Disha was serious about her career and could not have taken her own life. He alleged, “I was made to believe at the time that my daughter’s death was accidental. However, her death was not accidental. She was gang-raped and murdered.”
He further claimed that certain officials, including former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and officers from Malvani Police Station, repeatedly pushed a particular version of events. “My family was kept under constant pressure and surveillance. Our every movement was being monitored,” the petition alleges.
Salian also claimed that key evidence, forensic reports and post-mortem findings were fabricated to suppress the alleged gang rape and murder.
Serious Allegations Against Aaditya Thackeray
The petition also makes serious allegations involving Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. According to eyewitness accounts cited in the petition, a party was underway at Disha’s Malvani residence on the night of June 8, 2020, with her close friends.
It is alleged that Aaditya Thackeray, along with a bodyguard, actor Sooraj Pancholi, and Dino Morea, arrived at the location, after which the atmosphere changed. Advocate Nilesh Ojha, representing Salian, has repeatedly alleged that Disha was gang-raped by those present.
The petition further claims that Disha was silenced as her survival could have caused problems for several individuals. It also alleges that multiple politicians and senior police officials became active following the incident.
It is further alleged that Aaditya Thackeray remained in constant contact with senior police officers over phone calls after the incident and made several calls to individuals close to Disha.
The petition also claims that in the days following Disha’s death, actor Sushant Singh Rajput died, and during that period, Aaditya Thackeray spoke to Rhea Chakraborty 44 times over phone calls.
Key Demands In The Petition
The petition states that, despite being aware of these developments, the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray did not take action and instead allegedly protected those involved, including certain officials.
It demands that Uddhav Thackeray’s role be investigated as well.
The petition further calls for custodial interrogation of Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, concerned police officials, and doctors, and seeks narco analysis, brain mapping, and lie detector tests.
It also demands the appointment of a special public prosecutor to build a strong case and seeks a court-monitored investigation by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the CBI.
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