Mumbai Police told the Bombay High Court that Disha Salian died by suicide with no evidence of sexual or physical assault. Her father’s murder and gangrape claims were termed baseless by the police.
MUMBAI: Today, on July 3, the Mumbai Police has told the Bombay High Court that former celebrity manager Disha Salian died by suicide, and no foul play was found in her death. This statement came even as her father, Satish Salian, again claimed that his daughter was gangraped and murdered.
Disha Salian passed away on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in the Malad area of Mumbai. At that time, the police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).
But her father has now moved the High Court, asking for a detailed probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
He has also demanded that an FIR be registered against Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray, claiming there was a cover-up to save powerful people.
Satish Salian’s petition was heard on Wednesday by a bench led by Justice A.S. Gadkari, who posted the matter for further hearing on July 16.
In response, the Malvani police station, which initially handled the investigation, filed an affidavit in court. According to the affidavit submitted by Senior Inspector Shailendra Nagarkar, the police found no evidence of sexual or physical assault on Disha Salian’s body.
“I say that in the light of the circumstances and witness statements, the dead Disha Salian out of her own volition jumped off the window of the flat and committed suicide.”
The affidavit also stated that she was under severe mental stress because of issues in her family and because her business ventures were not working out. The postmortem report also supported the conclusion that she died by suicide.
“She was under tremendous mental stress due to a dispute with her family and also because her business deals were not working out.”
Further, the police said Disha was drunk when the incident happened. Her fiancé, who was present at the time, also did not suspect any foul play.
“She was drunk at the time of the incident, and even her fiancé, who was with her at the time, had ruled out any wrong doings or suspicion.”
The police maintained that the allegations made by Satish Salian were baseless.
“The report is conclusive in nature and mentions no signs of sexual and/or physical assault on the dead.”
They added that their closure report was based on scientific evidence and the postmortem findings. Later, even a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to further look into the matter, and its conclusions were in line with the earlier police investigation.
“However, further investigation is still being carried out.”
In a fresh application submitted on Wednesday, Satish Salian argued that as soon as the police get information about a possible crime, they must register a First Information Report (FIR).
He said the SIT was probing a serious case of rape and murder without even filing an FIR, which is not legal.
He also said that the state government had failed to follow the court’s earlier direction. According to him, the affidavit was supposed to come from the chief secretary of Maharashtra but was instead filed by the police.
“There has been wilful disobedience of the court order as an affidavit was sought from the Maharashtra government’s chief secretary and not the police.”
Meanwhile, MLA Aditya Thackeray has filed a separate application in the case, asking the court to allow him to present his side before passing any order. He stated that the petition filed by Satish Salian was not genuine and had ulterior motives.
Thackeray stated in his application that the petition was:
“False, frivolous and motivated.”
Background of the Case
Disha Salian, a 28-year-old former celebrity manager, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Malad, Mumbai. At the time, Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), suggesting she had taken her own life.
Her death gained significant public attention, especially due to its timing—just days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, whom she had previously worked with briefly.
Speculations and conspiracy theories started circulating online, with claims linking her death to high-profile individuals and alleging foul play. In March 2025, her father, Satish Salian, approached the Bombay High Court demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into her death.
He alleged that Disha was gangraped and murdered and accused certain influential figures, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray, of being part of a political cover-up.
The Mumbai Police, in response, submitted affidavits asserting that their investigation and medical reports showed no evidence of sexual assault or foul play.
They reiterated that Disha was under mental stress due to family disputes and professional issues and that her death was a case of suicide.
Case Title:
Satish Salian v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.
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