BY PC Bureau
Mumbai/ September 2, The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation into the 2020 death of Disha Salian, while making it clear that no person should be treated as an accused unless the probe produces sufficient evidence against them.
A division bench passed the order on a petition filed by Salian’s father, Satish Salian, who had challenged the Mumbai Police investigation into his daughter’s death and alleged several lapses in the handling of the case.
The court’s direction means the CBI will now examine the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death afresh, including the material already collected by the Mumbai Police and any other evidence it considers relevant.
At the same time, the bench cautioned against drawing conclusions about any individual before the investigation establishes a sufficient evidentiary basis. The direction effectively requires the probe to remain evidence-driven rather than proceeding on allegations or speculation.
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Salian, 28, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a high-rise residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. Mumbai Police initially registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the provision then governing inquiries into certain unnatural or suspicious deaths.
The police subsequently concluded that Salian had died by suicide and found no evidence of foul play.
Her father, however, disputed the adequacy of the investigation and approached the High Court seeking a fresh probe. His petition alleged that the circumstances surrounding her death had not been examined comprehensively and raised questions about possible foul play.
Among the issues cited were the scope of the initial ADR inquiry, the handling and disclosure of post-mortem and other records, the nature of the injuries recorded in the medical examination, the availability and coverage of CCTV footage and the manner in which the police investigation was conducted over the years.
The petition also questioned why a formal FIR had not been registered despite the family expressing suspicions about the circumstances of Salian’s death.
During proceedings, the High Court examined aspects of the police inquiry, including its duration, the medical and forensic material available on record and the manner in which the investigation had been brought to a close.
The court’s latest order now places the matter before the CBI, which will be responsible for carrying out the investigation in accordance with the directions issued by the High Court.
The agency is expected to obtain the relevant records and independently examine the circumstances of Salian’s death, including evidence collected during the earlier police inquiry.
The case has continued to attract public attention partly because of Salian’s professional association with actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died in Mumbai on June 14, 2020, six days after her death.
However, the High Court’s order does not establish a connection between the two deaths. Nor does it declare any person responsible for Salian’s death.
The CBI investigation will therefore be significant not only for determining whether the original police conclusion requires reconsideration, but also for establishing, on the basis of evidence, whether any criminal offence was committed and whether anyone can be held responsible.
