The Bombay High Court on Wednesday transferred the investigation into the death of former celebrity manager Disha Salian to the Central Bureau of Investigation, ordering the federal agency to initiate an inquiry while stipulating that no suspects be named without adequate evidence.
A division bench comprising Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale directed the Mumbai police to transfer all relevant case records to the central agency immediately. Under the court’s instructions, federal investigators must lodge a First Information Report and formally record the testimony of the deceased’s father, Satish Salian, whose legal petition prompted the judicial directive.
The judges noted that should the agency determine that no criminal case is established upon concluding its inquiry, it must submit a formal summary report before the designated court. The bench affirmed that the father retains the legal standing to contest any such closing report.
Court Safeguards Against Preemptive Accusations
Addressing the scope of the inquiry, the High Court emphasized that investigators must refrain from treating any individual as an accused person unless concrete material is established during the investigation.
The father’s petition had explicitly sought the registration of an FIR against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray in connection with the case. While granting the plea for a federal probe, the bench mandated that suspicion alone cannot serve as the basis for formally implicating individuals in the absence of corroborating findings.
Challenging the Initial Police Findings
Satish Salian approached the High Court last year to contest the conclusions drawn by the city police. Represented by advocate Nilesh Ojha, the father challenged the integrity of the local investigation, alleging that his daughter was subjected to gang-rape and murder under suspicious circumstances.
The plea further claimed that local authorities had orchestrated a political cover-up intended to shield influential figures from scrutiny.
Background of the Incident
Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building situated in the Malad suburb of Mumbai. Following the incident, the local police logged an Accidental Death Report and launched a preliminary inquiry.
At the conclusion of that inquiry, municipal police authorities categorized the incident as a death by suicide, a determination the family has contested through their court filings.
