Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 14: In a new twist to the six year old case of death of Disha Salian, the former manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput who also was found dead six days later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which has taken over the investigation, on Monday filed an FIR naming the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Maharashtra ML Aaditya Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Rhea Chakraborty and several others.
The FIR was filed nearly two weeks after the Bombay High Court ordered the central agency to take over the investigation of the case surrounding the death of Disha, which initially the police had registered as an accidental death. A case has been registered under sections pertaining to murder, gang rape, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, and providing false information.
Among the sections of the IPC used by the CBI in the FIR were Section 120-B – Criminal conspiracy, Section 376(D) – Gang rape, Section 302 – Murder, Section 201 – Causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen the offender, Section 217 – Public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save a person from punishment and Section 218 – Public servant framing an incorrect record or writing with intent to save a person from punishment.
The FIR also strongly indicts the former chief minister and Aaditya’s father Uddhav Thackeray. “The then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, father of Aaditya Thackeray, and others played a significant role in the conspiracy and subsequent cover-up.
“The concerned public servants and police officers are also liable to be investigated for 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,” the CBI FIR states.
“Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty, the doctors and staff concerned with the delayed post-mortem are among “people whose roles require investigation”, the CBI FIR says. Earlier, the central probe agency had written to the police seeking all documents and records related to Disha Salian’s death to facilitate its investigation.
Disha Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area, days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra flat. The city police then registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in Salian’s case.
Last week, Salian’s father, Satish Salian, recorded his statement before the CBI as part of the agency’s probe into his daughter’s death. In his statement, Satish Salian alleged that several individuals, including former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, his son and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, and others, played a significant role in an alleged conspiracy and subsequent cover-up.
The Bombay High Court’s September 2 order for CBI probe came on a petition filed by Disha Salian’s father alleging lapses by Mumbai Police in the investigation into his daughter’s death in June 2020. The court pulled up Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR for six years, observing that its investigation “raises more questions than answers” and pointed to “glaring discrepancies” in the investigation.
The court had also noted that copies of the post-mortem report and the ADR had not been provided to Salian’s family even six years after her death. After conducting an inquiry, the police claimed that Disha Salian’s death was a case of suicide. Her father, however, filed a petition in the High Court last year alleging that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered.
According to Disha’s father, the CBI recorded his statement for around 4 hours on Friday, September 11. The CBI has also recorded the statements of his two lawyers. The statements were recorded by a CBI team from Delhi. The CBI’s Special Crime Team Unit 2 is investigating the case and is currently in Mumbai.
The CBI FIR alleges that, apart from gang rape and murder, the role of those involved in making evidence disappear, concealing the crime or providing false information to protect the accused would also be investigated. The FIR also states that the role of several prominent politicians, Bollywood actors, as well as several Mumbai Police and SIT officers, in allegedly misleading the investigation would be examined. The role of government employees were also under investigation.
The flat located in Malvani-Malad West, Mumbai, has been made the scene of the incident. According to the CBI, the incident took place during the intervening night of June 8 and June 9, 2020. The FIR mentions Flat No. 1202, Regent Galaxy Apartment, Malvani, Malad West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, as the scene of the incident.
After the court’s order, Salian’s father, Satish Salian, had said he had provided investigating authorities with details of the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death and expressed confidence that the proceedings would begin soon. He also said he had told investigators what he knew about the events surrounding his daughter’s death and provided names of several individuals whom he wanted authorities to examine.
He said he stated the facts exactly as they were and told them everything that happened to his daughter. “I listed all the names: Aaditya, Sooraj Pancholi, Dino Morea, and the bodyguards. They noted everything down. They said they would take action based on what I told them; the proceedings would begin in a few days,” he said.
Now the CBI probe has drawn attention from Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister Shweta Singh Kirti, who recently expressed hope in the investigation. After sharing a video on social media, Shweta said, “Truth has its own power… it can be suppressed for some time, troubled, but it cannot be defeated.” Moreover, she also welcomed the CBI inquiry into Salian’s case, saying it had given hope to many of Rajput’s followers.
Disha was found dead six days before Rajput was found dead at his residence in Bandra, Mumbai, on June 14, 2020. While hearing the matter, a Division Bench of Justice Bharti Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande had raised concerns over the registration of only an ADR despite allegations by Salian’s family that she was murdered.