Disha Salian death case: Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea named in CBI FIR

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Rhea Chakraborty and Sooraj Pancholi are among the names mentioned in the FIR registered on Monday, officials said.

The development follows the Bombay High Court's September 2 order directing the CBI to take over the investigation.

The FIR relates to allegations including murder, gang rape, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and providing false information.

FIR refers to alleged conspiracy

The CBI FIR states that the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and others allegedly played a role in a conspiracy and its subsequent cover-up.

“The then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, father of Aaditya Thackeray, and others played a significant role in the conspiracy and subsequent cover-up,” the FIR states.

It further alleges that certain public servants and police officers may need to be investigated over the alleged destruction or suppression of case records, fabrication of official documents and the alleged misuse of government resources.

The FIR lists Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty, as well as doctors and staff associated with the delayed post-mortem, among the people whose roles require investigation.

The registration of an FIR, however, does not by itself establish guilt against any individual.

The Bombay High Court had specifically directed that no person should be treated as an accused unless the CBI finds sufficient material during the investigation to raise reasonable suspicion.

CBI takes over 6-year-old case

The CBI's action comes nearly two weeks after the Bombay High Court ordered a fresh investigation into Salian's death.

The court directed the agency to appoint a senior and experienced officer to conduct the probe, record the statement of Salian's father, Satish Salian, and register an FIR based on his complaint.

The bench also directed the investigating officer to examine all aspects surrounding the circumstances in which she died.

The High Court had criticised several aspects of the earlier investigation by Mumbai Police.

It observed that the police investigation “raises more questions than answers” and pointed to what it described as “glaring discrepancies” in the handling of the case.

Disha Salian's death in June 2020

Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area.

Her death occurred six days before Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence.

Mumbai Police had initially registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in Salian's case.

Following an inquiry, the police maintained that she had died by suicide.

Her father later challenged that account before the Bombay High Court, alleging that his daughter had been gang-raped and murdered.

The High Court's September 2 order came on a petition filed by Satish Salian seeking a CBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death.

Father records statement before CBI

Satish Salian recorded his statement before the CBI shortly before the FIR was registered.

In his statement, he made allegations against several individuals, including former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray.

He has also alleged that the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death involved a wider conspiracy and subsequent cover-up.

The CBI had earlier sought documents and records relating to Salian's death from Mumbai Police to facilitate its investigation.

The High Court also noted that copies of the post-mortem report and the ADR had not been provided to Salian's family even years after her death, while raising questions over the manner in which the original investigation was conducted.