The Bombay High Court sharply questioned the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the 2020 death of former celebrity manager Disha Salian, noting that police have still not reached a conclusion even after five years. During a hearing on Thursday, a bench of Justices A. S. Gadkari and R. R. Bhonsale observed that investigators simply needed to determine whether the case involved suicide or culpable homicide, and asked why an inquiry was still continuing after such a long period.
The matter reached the court through a petition filed by Salian’s father, Satish Salian. He has alleged that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered and has accused the Mumbai Police of deliberately avoiding the registration of an FIR. His petition claims that officers have been “hiding behind the garb of an inquiry” instead of treating the matter as a criminal case. The family has also sought a CBI probe into what they describe as a politically motivated cover-up.
The state argued that the investigation remains active, with public prosecutor Mankhunwar Deshmukh stating that police are scrutinising every detail to rule out all possible scenarios. She also told the court that both parents had earlier raised no suspicion while giving their statements, questioning why fresh allegations were being made after five years had passed. The bench, however, was dissatisfied with the lack of closure and pressed for clarity on the inquiry’s progress.
The court expressed concern about transparency as well. Salian’s lawyer, Nilesh Ojha, said that police had not shared multiple statements recorded during the probe, including those of the victim’s own family. The bench responded that any legally permissible documents should be provided and directed the state to seek instructions regarding disclosure. Judges further asked police to place the post-mortem report on record.
The case has continued to generate public and political controversy. Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, allegedly after falling from the 14th floor of a building in Mumbai. Her death occurred just two days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide — a timing that led to widespread speculation and conspiracy theories online. At the time, police registered only an Accidental Death Report.
In his petition, Salian’s father has named former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray as one of the individuals who must be investigated. Thackeray has denied the accusations, calling them fabricated and politically motivated. He has requested an opportunity to be heard before the court issues any direction.
Although a Special Investigation Team was formed in December 2023 to re-examine the case, no report has been submitted yet. With the High Court now demanding answers and critical records, the spotlight has returned to a case that has lingered unresolved for years — leaving the Salian family still waiting for a definitive conclusion about what happened to their daughter.
