Bombay High Court Orders CBI Probe in Disha Salian Death Case

Home / News updates Disha Salian Death Case: Bombay HC Orders CBI Probe, Directs FIR Into Allegations Of Foul Play X Bombay High Court orders CBI probe into Disha Salian death. Bombay High Court orders FIR and CBI investigation into Disha Salian’s death, while cautioning against detention solely on allegations. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) to register an FIR and investigate the 2020 death of celebrity manager Disha Salian , after her father alleged that she was sexually assaulted and murdered and questioned the manner in which Mumbai Police had handled the case. A division bench of Justices S V Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale directed that a senior CBI officer be assigned to the case. Court also made it clear that no person should be detained merely on the basis of allegations unless the investigation throws up reasonable suspicion of an offence. If the CBI finds no criminality, it has been directed to file a summary report. Salian, 28, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a high-rise building in Mumbai's Malad area. She had worked as a celebrity manager and was associated with actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died six days later at his Bandra residence. The CBI probe follows a petition filed by Salian's father, Satish Salian, seeking registration of an FIR and a fresh investigation into his daughter's death. He alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered and sought an investigation by the central agency. The high court's proceedings had focused heavily on the manner in which Mumbai Police dealt with the case. During the hearing, the bench questioned why the matter had remained under an Accidental Death Report (ADR) inquiry for years without an FIR being registered despite allegations raising suspicion about the circumstances of Salian's death. In its earlier proceedings, the court had examined the distinction between an inquiry into an unnatural death and a regular criminal investigation. The bench questioned whether an inquiry under Section 174 of the CrPC, now corresponding to Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), could substitute for an investigation into a cognisable offence. Court had observed that such an inquiry could not give anyone a “clean chit” in relation to allegations of a cognisable offence. The bench had also clarified that it was not concluding that Salian had been raped or murdered. Rather, it was examining whether the allegations and material before it warranted registration of an FIR and a proper investigation. “We are not conclusively saying rape or murder was committed,” the court said. The Maharashtra government had defended the investigation conducted by Mumbai Police. The state relied on material including spot panchnamas, witness statements, forensic material, CCTV footage and mobile call records, and maintained that the evidence did not disclose foul play. The state also referred to the statement of Salian's fiancé, Rohan Roy. A Special Investigation Team had earlier examined the matter. In July 2025, the SIT informed the high court that it had found no foul play in Salian's death, while its investigation was continuing. The plea was opposed by senior advocate Sudeep Pasbola, appearing for Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, whose name had been raised in the allegations. Pasbola argued that the petition was politically motivated and that Salian's father had been used by political opponents seeking to target Thackeray. “Somebody else wants to knock down Thackeray. The father of the victim has become a tool,” Pasbola told the court. Thackeray has denied the allegations and maintained that the proceedings were an attempt to tarnish his reputation. Satish Salian had initially told police in 2020 that he did not suspect foul play and was satisfied with the investigation. He later changed his position and approached the high court seeking a fresh probe, alleging that his daughter had been gang-raped a