CBI registers FIR in Disha Salian death case; names Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty & others following High Court order

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR on Monday regarding the death of Disha Salian, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, acting on an order from the Bombay High Court.

The FIR outlines the roles of numerous individuals for investigation, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, Rohan Roy, actors Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi, Aaditya’s bodyguards, Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty, former police officer Sachin Vaze, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, DCP Vishal Thakur, and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Additionally, the document names former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, alongside several police officers, forensic officials, doctors, and other individuals.


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“The then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, father of Aaditya Thackeray, and others also played a significant role in the conspiracy and subsequent cover-up. The concerned public servants and police officers are also liable to be investigated for destruction or suppression of case papers, files and other public records, fabrication of official records, and misuse of public funds, manpower and police machinery for unlawful purposes and for shielding the offenders,” the FIR stated.

According to the FIR, the named individuals will be investigated for alleged principal offences, criminal conspiracy, the “subsequent creation and propagation of the false suicide story,” and the alleged suppression, destruction, or fabrication of evidence.

The document also includes officers from the Malvani Police Station, medical staff involved in the post-mortem, officials from the Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina, security guards at the Regent Galaxy Building, members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and other unidentified persons.

Bombay High Court orders probe

The Bombay High Court directed the CBI to take over the investigation into Salian’s death while criticizing the Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR for six years.

The bench remarked that the police inquiry “raises more questions than answers,” questioning the initial decision to treat the incident solely as an accidental death and highlighting “glaring discrepancies” in the process.

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Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. At the time, the Mumbai Police had only registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

Salian had briefly served as manager to Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020, six days after Salian's death. The close timing of the two incidents generated intense speculation regarding a potential connection, though authorities handled the inquiries separately.

Amid public outcry over Rajput’s death, the Maharashtra government eventually handed the matter over to the CBI. The agency later submitted a closure report concluding that Rajput died by suicide, though the court has yet to hear the report.

Prior to the High Court order, Salian’s father, Satish Salian, directly accused Aaditya Thackeray and actor Dino Morea in connection with his daughter's death.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, Satish Salian confirmed that he shared all known details surrounding the incident with investigators and named specific individuals he wished to be examined.

“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 Mumbai Police had previously maintained that Salian died by suicide following its preliminary inquiry.

(With inputs from TOI)