CBI registers FIR in Disha Salian’s death case

New Delhi: The CBI has registered an FIR in connection with the death of Disha Salian, former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, after the case was handed over to the central probe agency by the Bombay High Court with a clear instruction not to name anyone as an accused, officials said on Monday.

On September 2, the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into Salian's death while pulling up the Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR for six years, observing that its investigation "raises more questions than answers".

CBI officials said a case has been registered on the high court's directions, and investigation and statement recordings have begun.


A division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale had observed that an investigation cannot drag on for an inordinately long period, emphasising that a central agency probe was necessary to ensure a proper and substantive investigation into the matter.

The high court had criticised the police for treating the case solely as an accidental death for six years, and highlighted "glaring discrepancies" in the investigation.

Salian, 28, who had briefly worked as Rajput's manager, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 12th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area.

The city police had registered an accidental death report (ADR) and subsequently claimed, after an inquiry, that it was a case of suicide.

A week later, Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020, triggering speculation about a possible link between the two deaths.

The public uproar following Rajput's death led to a CBI probe into his case. The agency later submitted a closure report stating that Rajput died by suicide, though the report is yet to be heard by the competent court.

While ordering the Mumbai Police to hand over all case documents to the CBI, the high court asked the central agency to record the statement of Salian's father, Satish Salian, but clarified that no one should be named as an accused.

"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 high court had said.

While Satish Salian sought an FIR against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, the bench refrained from making remarks against any individual, stating that it was up to the investigating agency to probe the case.

Thackeray has denied all allegations, terming the petition false, frivolous, and politically motivated.

The high court had said if the CBI investigations show that no case is made out, the agency should file an appropriate summary report before the court concerned, and Satish Salian would be at liberty to challenge the same.