The family of Disha Salian, former manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has formally petitioned the Bombay High Court, seeking a renewed investigation into the circumstances surrounding her demise in June 2020.
Her father, Satish Salian, has alleged in his plea that his daughter was “brutally rap*d & murdered,” followed by an orchestrated cover-up designed to protect politically influential individuals.
The petition urges the judiciary to mandate the registration of a First Information Report against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Satish Salian’s legal counsel, Nilesh Ojha, has indicated that the petition is in the final stages of submission and is expected to be formally recorded in the High Court’s registry within the week.
Claims Of Procedural Lapses
The plea challenges the investigative integrity of the Mumbai Police, contending that authorities prematurely classified Disha’s death as either a suicide or an accident without conducting a comprehensive forensic analysis, assessing circumstantial evidence, or adequately considering eyewitness testimony.
The Salian family, initially convinced of the legitimacy of the police inquiry, now asserts that the investigation was systematically manipulated to obfuscate material facts and suppress critical evidence.
Chronology Of Events
Disha Salian allegedly fell from the 14th floor of a residential complex in Mumbai’s Malad district on June 8, 2020. At that time, the Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR). Merely 6 days later, on June 14, 2020, Sushant Singh Rajput was discovered deceased in his Bandra residence. While law enforcement authorities initially categorized his death as a suicide, the case was subsequently reassigned to the CBI for further inquiry.
Political Ramifications
The petition has elicited varied responses from political circles. Shiv Sena spokesperson Kishori Pednekar has questioned the timing of the legal motion, insinuating a potential ulterior motive behind its filing more than 4 years after the incident. She further noted that previous investigations, including those conducted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT), had already examined the matter extensively.
Judicial Review
As of now, no official statement has been issued by Aaditya Thackeray or representatives of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in response to the allegations presented in the petition.
The court is set to assess the merits of the plea and determine the appropriate judicial course regarding the demand for a reinvestigation into Disha Salian’s death.
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