Full Breakdown
CBI Registers FIR in Disha Salian Death Case After Bombay High Court Order
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – FIR Registration and New Probe
On September 13 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a first-information report (FIR) to investigate the 2020 death of Disha Salian, former manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, following a September 2 direction from a division bench of the Bombay High Court. The FIR lists alleged offences—gang-rape, murder, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and public-servant misconduct—but, per the court’s directive, no individual has been named as an accused at this stage**.
Background & Context
Disha Salian died after falling from a high-rise flat in Mumbai’s Malad area on June 8 2020 (some reports cite June 9). The Mumbai police recorded an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and concluded suicide, a finding later echoed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Maharashtra government in December 2023. In 2024, Satish Salian petitioned, alleging his daughter had been gang-raped and murdered and that a “deep-rooted conspiracy involving powerful people” covered up the crime. The Bombay High Court, noting “glaring discrepancies,” ordered a fresh CBI probe and FIR registration.
Timeline
- June 8 2020 – Disha Salian falls; police register an ADR.
- June 14 2020 – Actor Sushant Singh Rajput is found dead.
- December 2023 – SIT reports no foul play in Salian’s death.
- September 2 2024 – Bombay High Court orders CBI takeover and FIR registration.
- September 13 2024 – CBI files the FIR based on Satish Salian’s statement.
- September 14 2024 – Advocate Nilesh Ojha outlines the FIR’s alleged offences and named individuals.
Data & Statistics
- The FIR invokes IPC sections 376D, 302, 201, 217, 218 and 120B.
- It enumerates more than 30 persons—politicians, actors, police officers and others—whose roles are to be examined.
Official Statements & Responses
- The court directed Mumbai police to hand over all case files to the CBI.
Criticism & Opposition
- Sudeep Pasbola, senior advocate for Aaditya Thackeray, called the petition “politically motivated” and said the victim’s father has become “a tool” for opponents.
- Waris Pathan, NCP leader, warned against politicising the case, stating, “There is no need to give the Disha Salian case a political colour.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The FIR alleges contradictions regarding Salian’s mobile phone: police seized it on June 9 at 9:40 a.m., yet media later claimed it was active. The FIR says the phone was reopened only after Rajput’s death on June 14 to verify a possible link, a claim the police have struggled to reconcile with the seizure record. While the original police inquiry and SIT concluded suicide, Satish Salian now alleges gang-rape and murder, creating a factual divergence the CBI must resolve.
What’s Next
The Bombay High Court has instructed the CBI to file a summary report if the investigation does not uncover sufficient evidence to charge any individual. The agency’s next steps include forensic analysis, interrogation of those named in the FIR and examination of the disputed mobile-phone records. The outcome will determine whether the case proceeds to trial or is closed with a summary.