The Bombay High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation into the death of Disha Salian, a former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The court said the Mumbai Police investigation, which continued for nearly six years, raised several questions and had not provided satisfactory answers.
Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. Mumbai Police initially registered an Accidental Death Report. Her death later became a subject of intense public debate, particularly because Sushant Singh Rajput died six days later.
Salian had briefly worked as Rajput’s manager. His death was separately investigated, including by the CBI, which later filed a closure report stating that he had died by suicide. The court concerned is yet to take a final decision on that report.
The investigation into Salian’s death was handled by the Malvani police and was treated as a case of suicide. In an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court in July 2025, Mumbai Police said Salian had jumped from a window of a flat. The police also said her postmortem examination had found no evidence of sexual or physical assault.
However, Salian’s father, Satish Salian, sought a CBI probe in March 2025. He alleged that his daughter had been raped and murdered and claimed that there had been an attempt to hide the circumstances surrounding her death. He also sought an FIR against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.
A bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjit Sinha Bhonsale criticised the way the case had been handled. The court pointed to what it described as significant gaps in the investigation, including the delay in preparing the spot panchnama. Questions were also raised about the reported absence of blood at the place where Salian fell and certain injuries mentioned in the records.
The High Court has now directed the CBI to register an FIR, record Satish Salian’s statement and examine the available evidence. Mumbai Police has been ordered to immediately hand over the relevant case papers to the central agency. A senior and experienced officer will lead the CBI investigation.
The court, however, made it clear that no person should be treated as an accused unless the investigating officer finds sufficient material to establish reasonable suspicion. It also made no adverse remarks against Aaditya Thackeray or any other individual.
The CBI will now determine whether the evidence points to a criminal offence. If sufficient evidence is found, the agency can submit an appropriate report before the competent court. If not, it will file a summary report.
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