Mumbai, 2026-09-05 – The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the probe into the 2020 death of Disha Salian, former manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and sharply criticised the Mumbai Police for failing to file a First Information Report for six years.
Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale, sitting as a division bench, observed that an investigation stretching over an “inordinately long” period raises more questions than answers. In a 44‑page judgment they stressed that a central agency inquiry was essential to ensure a substantive and unbiased examination of the facts.
Salian fell from the 12th floor of a residential building in Malad on 8 June 2020. The police immediately recorded an Accidental Death Report, treating the incident as a simple accident. A week later, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment, prompting speculation of a possible link between the two deaths and leading the Maharashtra government to order a CBI probe into Rajput's case.
While the CBI later submitted a closure report stating that Rajput died by suicide, the court has not yet heard the document. The high court noted that Salian's father, Satish Salian, an “unfortunate” widower of a young daughter, may challenge the closure report.
The bench highlighted several gaps in the police investigation: the spot panchnama was prepared belatedly, no blood was found at the fall site, and the autopsy reported only a chin injury despite a 12‑storey drop. “If the deceased had fallen on her face from the 12th floor, it is difficult to accept that there was only one injury on the chin and no facial bone fracture,” the judges wrote.
Satish Salian, represented by advocate Nilesh Ojha, had earlier alleged that his daughter was gang‑raped and murdered, accusing a politically driven cover‑up. The court ordered the CBI to appoint a senior officer with appropriate experience, and warned that no one shall be labelled an accused without reasonable suspicion based on collected material.
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📰 Source: Sahil Online