MUMBAI: The CBI investigation into Disha Salian’s 2020 death will focus on police records and the earlier inquiry, statements from personnel who handled the case, key witnesses, forensic and autopsy material, and the scene of the incident following the registration of an FIR.
Police records, earlier inquiry first
Disha Salian, who worked as actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s manager, died after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai on June 8, 2020. Sushant was found dead at his Bandra residence a week later.Salian’s father, Satish Salian, had approached the high court seeking a murder probe, citing “suspicious circumstances”. He recorded his statement before the CBI last week, which was converted into an FIR on September 13.A CBI official said the FIR was registered pursuant to the court’s direction and that no accused has been named at this stage. Names would be included if involvement is established during the investigation, the official said.The agency is expected to examine documents and allegations linked to the case, including police records and files from the initial inquiry, as well as the actions of personnel who handled the case.The FIR alleges that some public servants and police officers need to be investigated for the destruction or suppression of case papers, files and other public records; fabrication of official records; and misuse of public funds, manpower and police machinery for unlawful purposes and for shielding the offenders.
Forensic, autopsy records and witnesses
The CBI is also expected to examine autopsy and forensic records and question officials associated with those processes. Security guards at the building are among those likely to be questioned.The team is expected to record statements of people who attended a gathering at the Mumbai home of Disha’s fiancé, Rohan Roy, on the night before her death.
Names mentioned in FIR
The FIR claims: “The persons whose roles require investigation in connection with the commission of the principal offences, criminal conspiracy, subsequent creation and propagation of the false suicide story, and suppression, destruction and/or fabrication of evidence include Aaditya Thackeray, Rohan Roy, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Aaditya Thackeray’s bodyguards, Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty, Sachin Vaze, Param Bir Singh, DCP Vishal Thakur, Uddhav Thackeray, Anil Deshmukh, API Ashok Devadhe, PI Jagdev Kalapad, PI Shailendra Nagarkar, PI Chimaji Adhav, PI Arjun Rajane, concerned officers of Malvani Police Station.”The names in the FIR are allegations requiring investigation and do not amount to a finding of guilt.
What did Bombay HC say?
The high court had pointed to “glaring discrepancies” in the investigation and observed that the police probe “raised more questions than answers.”The court had also noted that Disha’s family had not been provided with the post-mortem report or the accidental death report.On September 2, while ordering a CBI probe, the high court directed the agency that no one should be named as an accused unless there was evidence against them.
Seema Pahuja to supervise probe
CBI officer Seema Pahuja will supervise the investigation, sources said. She will be assisted by investigating officer Deputy SP Puran Kumar and others.Pahuja is currently posted as an SP with the special crimes unit at the CBI headquarters in Delhi.
