MUMBAI: Satish Salian, father of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager Disha Salian, has alleged lapses in the investigation into her death, with the CBI now examining the case following an FIR registered on September 13.Disha, who worked as Sushant’s manager, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai. Sushant was found dead at his Bandra residence nearly a week later.Satish Salian had approached the Bombay high court seeking a murder probe, citing what he described as suspicious circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death. He recorded his statement before the CBI last week, and the statement was subsequently converted into an FIR.
What Disha’s father’s lawyer alleged
Satish Salian’s advocate Nilesh Ojha alleged that Disha had information about alleged illegal activities involving Aaditya Thackeray. According to Ojha’s allegation, Disha shared the information with Sushant, who discussed it with Rhea Chakraborty. Ojha further alleged that the information was subsequently passed on to Aaditya Thackeray, following which the alleged offence and an alleged cover-up took place.These are allegations made on behalf of Disha’s father and have not been established by the investigation.
What the CBI FIR says
The CBI has registered the FIR pursuant to the high court’s direction. An official said no accused has been named at this stage and that names would be added if their involvement is established during the probe.The FIR says the roles of certain public servants and police officers need to be examined in connection with allegations of destruction or suppression of case papers and other public records, fabrication of official records, and alleged misuse of public funds, manpower and police machinery to shield offenders.It also calls for the questioning of forensic and autopsy officials, police personnel involved in the initial inquiry and others, including security guards at the building where Disha died.The FIR lists several individuals whose roles, it says, require investigation in connection with the alleged principal offences, conspiracy, the subsequent creation and propagation of what it describes as a false suicide narrative, and alleged suppression, destruction or fabrication of evidence.The names mentioned in the FIR include Aaditya Thackeray, Rohan Roy, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty, Sachin Vaze, Param Bir Singh, DCP Vishal Thakur, Uddhav Thackeray, Anil Deshmukh and several police officers. The FIR does not by itself establish guilt against any of those named.
HC flagged discrepancies in probe
The Bombay high court, while dealing with Salian’s petition, had questioned why Mumbai Police had not registered an FIR in the case despite nearly six years having passed. The court pointed to what it called “glaring discrepancies” in the investigation and observed that the police probe had “raised more questions than answers.”The court had also taken note of the fact that Disha’s family had not been provided her post-mortem report or accidental death report.On September 2, the high court ordered a CBI probe and directed the agency not to name anyone as an accused unless there was evidence establishing their involvement.The CBI investigation is now expected to examine the documents and allegations, record statements of police personnel involved in the initial inquiry, inspect the scene and question key witnesses. Investigators are also expected to conduct forensic and technical analysis before deciding whom to question further.
