The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially registered an FIR in connection with the 2020 death of celebrity manager Disha Salian, thrusting the high-profile case back into the national spotlight.
The development follows a directive from the Bombay High Court, which heavily criticised the Mumbai Police for keeping the case limited to an Accidental Death Report (ADR) for nearly six years.
The newly filed CBI FIR lists several prominent individuals whose roles require formal examination. These include Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, actors Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty, alongside Bollywood actors Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi.
A Wide-Ranging Investigation Into Alleged Cover-Up
Beyond political and film industry figures, the sweeping FIR extends to administrative and law enforcement personnel. It names former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, former police officer Sachin Waze, DCP Vishal Thakur, former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, and various officers linked to the Malvani Police Station. Additionally, the agency will look into the actions of specific medical professionals, forensic staff from the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory, and building security personnel.
The probe stems from long-standing contentions raised by Salian’s family. Disha Salian, who briefly managed late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead on June 8, 2020, after falling from a residential building in Malad, Mumbai. Her death occurred just days before Rajput’s tragic passing on June 14, 2020, drawing intense public and political scrutiny over potential links between the two events.
Court Criticism and Family’s Pursuit of Truth
During earlier hearings, a division bench of the Bombay High Court pointed out glaring discrepancies in the initial police handling of the matter, noting that the victim’s family had been denied copies of the post-mortem report and the ADR for five years.
Following the court’s intervention, Salian’s father, Satish Salian, expressed relief and reiterated his confidence in the judicial process, noting that he had shared all factual circumstances with investigators. Meanwhile, the development has also resonated with supporters of Sushant Singh Rajput, with family members welcoming the Central agency’s intervention as a renewed step toward uncovering the truth.
The court has clarified that the registration of the FIR does not automatically designate individuals as accused, emphasising that formal culpability will depend entirely on concrete evidence surfaced during the ongoing CBI probe.
