Six years after Disha Salian’s death, the case has taken a fresh turn with a CBI investigation following a Bombay High Court order.
Salian, who had worked as a celebrity manager for Sushant Singh Rajput, died after falling from a building in Mumbai’s Malad area on 8 June 2020, days before Rajput’s death. The fresh probe has brought the case back into focus, with Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi among the names mentioned in the CBI FIR.
What does the FIR say, what allegations are being investigated, and what has Disha’s father alleged? Here’s what to know about the latest developments and what has been established so far.
What Did The Bombay High Court Order?
The court directed the CBI to appoint a senior and experienced officer to investigate Disha Salian’s death.
The investigating officer has been directed to record the statement of her father and investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. The court has also directed the CBI to register an FIR.
The court said that if the investigation establishes a cognisable offence, the investigating officer should proceed according to law. If no cognisable offence is established, appropriate closure proceedings should be filed before the competent court.
The court also made a significant clarification: an FIR and investigation do not amount to a finding of guilt.
No person is to be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerges during the investigation.
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What Happened After The High Court Order?
Following the Bombay High Court’s 2 September order, the CBI registered an FIR in the case in September 2026.
The FIR records allegations and identifies people whose roles are to be examined during the investigation. Reports on the FIR name Aaditya Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rohan Roy, Showik Chakraborty and others, along with several police officials and other individuals.
The presence of a person’s name in the FIR should not be described as an accusation that the person committed the alleged offences. The Bombay High Court specifically directed that no one should be treated as an accused unless the investigating officer finds sufficient material giving rise to reasonable suspicion during the investigation.
The investigation will therefore determine whether the allegations are supported by evidence and whether any offence is established.
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Why Is Disha Salian’s Death Being Investigated Again?
The fresh probe follows a petition filed by Satish Salian.
He has alleged that his daughter was sexually assaulted and murdered and has questioned the way the earlier investigation was conducted.
These are allegations made by her father and have not been established as facts.
Mumbai Police has maintained a different position.
According to the police and the Maharashtra government, the investigation did not find evidence warranting prosecution for murder. The state has maintained that the available evidence indicated that Disha either died by suicide or accidentally fell from the building.
The High Court's latest order now puts the circumstances of her death under a fresh CBI investigation.
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Who Was Disha Salian?
Disha Salian was a celebrity manager who had worked with several people in the entertainment industry, including Sushant Singh Rajput.
She died on 8 June 2020 after falling from a high-rise in Malad, Mumbai.
Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report in connection with her death.
The police have maintained that their investigation did not find evidence to prosecute anyone for murder. The issue is now being examined afresh by the CBI.
Why Is Sushant Singh Rajput Part Of The Story?
This is one of the reasons the case has continued to attract public attention.
Disha Salian had worked with Sushant Singh Rajput.
She died on 8 June 2020.
Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence six days later, on 14 June 2020.
The proximity of the two deaths fuelled public speculation that they were connected.
But there is an important distinction between proximity and proof.
The Bombay High Court's latest order concerns the circumstances surrounding Disha Salian’s death. It does not establish that her death was connected to Rajput’s death.
Any such connection would have to emerge from evidence gathered during an investigation.
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What Had Mumbai Police Said?
Mumbai Police has maintained that it found no evidence of foul play in its investigation into Disha’s death.
During the recent proceedings, the Maharashtra government argued that there was no evidence strong enough to prosecute anyone for murder.
The state also said that the earlier Accidental Death Report had been closed in October 2020 and that a later inquiry was undertaken after allegations about the original investigation surfaced.
According to the state, that subsequent inquiry also did not find strong evidence to prosecute anyone for murder.
The High Court’s decision to order a CBI probe should therefore not be described as a judicial finding that the earlier police conclusion was false.
It is a direction for a fresh investigation.
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Who Is Leading The CBI Investigation?
The CBI has assigned senior officer Seema Pahuja to oversee the investigation into Disha Salian’s death, according to reports.
The agency is expected to examine records from the earlier investigation, statements of people connected to the case, witness accounts and forensic and post-mortem material. The investigation will also examine the circumstances and evidence relating to the allegations recorded in the FIR.
The investigation is still at an early stage. Any conclusions about criminal responsibility will depend on the evidence collected by the agency and subsequent legal proceedings.
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What Did Disha Salian’s Father Allege?
Satish Salian has challenged the earlier account of his daughter’s death.
According to reports of the proceedings, he alleged that Disha was subjected to sexual assault and murdered. His lawyer also raised questions about the investigation and the handling of material related to the case.
These claims are disputed.
The Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police have maintained that their investigation did not uncover evidence warranting prosecution for murder.
The CBI will now examine the allegations and the available evidence.
What About Aaditya Thackeray?
Aaditya Thackeray’s name appears in reports about the CBI FIR, with his role among those to be examined during the investigation. His inclusion in the FIR does not, by itself, establish criminal wrongdoing or mean that he has been found guilty of an offence.
Thackeray has denied having any connection with Disha Salian. In a statement reported on 16 September, he said he had never met or known her and rejected the allegations linking him to the case.
The Bombay High Court had already directed that nobody should be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerges during the investigation to raise reasonable suspicion. The CBI probe will determine whether any evidence establishes an offence or the involvement of any individual.
Let’s cut through the noise and talk facts, once again: I have never met or known Disha Salian.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) September 16, 2026
Linking my name to this tragic case constantly is a deliberate, evidence-free attempt at character assassination by a few individuals with clear political and personal motives, for…
What Is The Rs. 500-Crore Legal Notice About?
A separate legal development emerged on 17 September 2026, when Disha Salian’s father, Satish Salian, issued a Rs. 500-crore legal notice to Aaditya Thackeray and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.
According to the notice, Salian has alleged that statements made by Thackeray and Deshmukh portrayed his pursuit of a fresh investigation into his daughter’s death as politically motivated. He has sought Rs. 500 crore in damages and an apology, according to reports.
These are allegations contained in a legal notice and are not findings of a court. Thackeray has separately denied having known or met Disha Salian.
The legal notice is separate from the CBI investigation. It does not determine whether any offence was committed in connection with Disha Salian’s death.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
Why is the Disha Salian case back in the news?
The Bombay High Court ordered a CBI investigation on 2 September 2026, and the CBI subsequently registered an FIR.
When did Disha Salian die?
She died on 8 June 2020 after falling from a building in Mumbai’s Malad area.
What is the Sushant Singh Rajput connection?
Salian had worked with Rajput, who died six days after her. Their deaths fuelled public speculation, but the latest High Court order does not establish a criminal link between them.
What does the CBI FIR contain?
The FIR records allegations concerning Disha Salian’s death and refers to several people whose roles are to be examined during the investigation, including Aaditya Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi, among others.
Does being named in the FIR mean someone is an accused?
Not necessarily. The Bombay High Court specifically directed that no person should be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerges during the investigation to raise reasonable suspicion.
What did Disha’s father allege?
Satish Salian alleged that his daughter was sexually assaulted and murdered and questioned the earlier investigation. These allegations remain unproven.
What is the Rs. 500-crore legal notice?
Disha’s father, Satish Salian, has issued a legal notice to Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Deshmukh, seeking Rs. 500 crore over statements he alleges were defamatory. The allegations in the notice have not been adjudicated by a court.
What has Aaditya Thackeray said?
Thackeray has denied ever meeting or knowing Disha Salian and has rejected the allegations linking him to her death.
Does the CBI probe establish that Disha Salian was murdered?
No. The investigation is examining allegations concerning the circumstances of her death. The probe itself is not a finding that murder or any other offence occurred.
What happens next?
The CBI will investigate the allegations and evidence. If the investigation establishes an offence, the agency will proceed according to law. If it does not establish an offence, the appropriate closure process would follow, as directed by the High Court.
Why Did The Court Order A CBI Probe?
The petition raised questions about how the circumstances of Disha’s death had been investigated and whether a formal FIR should have been registered after allegations of criminality were raised.
During the hearing, the judges questioned aspects of the earlier investigation.
The state defended the police inquiry and maintained that it had not found evidence of murder.
The High Court nevertheless directed the CBI to investigate the case.
The court’s order means that the allegations and the evidence will now be examined through a fresh criminal investigation rather than being settled by speculation or competing public claims.
What Happens Next?
The CBI will investigate the circumstances surrounding Disha Salian’s death and examine the material handed over as part of the case.
If the investigation establishes a cognisable offence, the agency can proceed with prosecution according to law.
If it does not find sufficient evidence of an offence, closure proceedings can follow.
That means the latest development is significant, but it is not a verdict.
The investigation will determine what the evidence shows.
Six Years Later, A Fresh Investigation
Disha Salian’s death has remained intertwined in public discussion with the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, largely because of the six-day gap between their deaths.
But a connection suggested in public discourse is not the same as one established by evidence.
The Bombay High Court has now ordered the CBI to register an FIR and investigate the circumstances surrounding Disha’s death.
For her family, it opens a new chapter in a case they have continued to question.
For the investigating agency, the task is to establish what happened through evidence.
And that is what the CBI investigation will now have to determine.
