High Court Orders CBI Probe into Disha Salian’s Death After Six Years

The Bombay High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of celebrity manager Disha Salian on September 2, 2026, six years after she died. Salian fell from the 14th floor of a high-rise in Mumbai’s Malad area on June 8, 2020. This landmark court decision represents a significant shift in a case that has remained shrouded in ambiguity and controversy for more than half a decade.

The Journey to Justice

The decision ends a six-year fight by her father to have the case reopened. Satish Salian, Disha’s father, has long disputed the official account of his daughter’s death. Mumbai Police had treated her death as an Accidental Death Report case and told the court that evidence pointed to suicide or an accidental fall, with no grounds to prosecute anyone. However, this closure was never accepted by the family.

Her father alleged she was sexually assaulted and murdered, and questioned why police never registered a case against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray and others named in his complaint. The family’s persistent pursuit of a deeper investigation reflects their belief that crucial leads were abandoned or overlooked during the initial police inquiry.

The Connection to Sushant Singh Rajput

Salian’s death became the subject of intense speculation, particularly because actor Rajput died six days later, on June 14. Salian was the former manager to actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and this professional connection fueled widespread speculation about a possible link between the two deaths. The circumstances surrounding Rajput’s death—which was initially treated as a suicide but later became the subject of a high-profile CBI investigation—intensified scrutiny on Salian’s case.

The temporal proximity of these two deaths, combined with their professional relationship, raised questions in the public mind about whether investigation into one should inform the other. Over time, several petitioners sought a CBI investigation into Salian’s death, arguing that if Rajput’s death warranted central agency intervention, so should hers.

What the Court Has Ordered

The court directed the CBI to appoint a senior and experienced officer to investigate Disha Salian’s death, with the investigating officer to record the statement of her father and investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. A division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale also ordered that Malvani police hand over all case records to the agency.

The court said that if the investigation establishes a cognisable offence, the investigating officer should proceed according to law; if no cognisable offence is established, appropriate closure proceedings should be filed before the competent court. The judges ordered the investigating officer to file a chargesheet as early as possible if a cognisable offence is made out.

Important Legal Safeguards

The court made a significant clarification: an FIR and investigation do not amount to a finding of guilt, and no person is to be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerges during the investigation. This is an important protection for those named in complaints, ensuring that the mere existence of an investigation does not prejudge anyone’s status.

The bench clarified no one should be treated as an accused or detained unless the investigating officer finds sufficient material against them. These safeguards reflect the courts understanding that while reopening an investigation is appropriate when legitimate questions remain, jumping to conclusions about guilt serves no one—not the family seeking answers, not potential suspects, and not justice itself.

The Road Ahead

The court has not ruled that Disha was murdered, nor has it found anyone responsible for her death. Instead, the order recognizes that critical gaps exist in the original inquiry. A fresh investigation by a senior CBI officer represents an opportunity to examine the evidence with fresh eyes and expertise that the local police inquiry may have lacked.

For Satish Salian, this represents validation of his steadfast belief that his daughter’s death deserves more rigorous scrutiny. For the public, it offers a chance for clarity on a case that has lingered in the shadows of speculation. The coming months will be crucial as the CBI undertakes its investigation and works to establish what actually happened on that day in June 2020.