Satish Salian, father of Disha Salian, manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, will move the Bombay high court to seek a CBI probe into her 2020 death, saying that it was not an accident or suicide but she was “raped, murdered and subjected to a politically orchestrated cover-up”. His petition, which is yet to be filed, seeks “custodial interrogation” of Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and action against some actors. The petition is likely to be filed today (March 20).
Disha died on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building at Malad in Bombay. The city police had treated it as a case of suicide and had registered an accidental death report (ADR) in the case.
The father’s petition alleges that Disha was “brutally raped, murdered and subjected to a politically orchestrated cover-up”. The petition claims that it seeks to expose the web of lies, corruption and suppression of facts behind the murder to protect certain influential persons. Two years after her death, Disha’s parents had appealed to the media to leave them alone and not malign their daughter’s image.
Satish Salian said that in the initial stages, he was misled by those in power. Through scrutiny of facts, independent investigations and his personal observations, he added that he had uncovered irrefutable evidence that contradicted the police’s fabricated narrative. The plea adds, “Mumbai police hastily closed the death as a case of suicide or accidental death without taking into account forensic evidence, circumstantial proofs and eyewitness testimonies.” The father has described Disha’s death as a premeditated act of violence, wherein she was brutally raped and murdered. “The actions of the accused and the immediate political interference in the investigation suggest a deliberate and systematic effort to bury the truth.” The petition states that some actors and Aaditya Thackeray were present at the party which was initially meant to be a private affair comprising Disha’s friends. It demands action against those actors and former mayor Kishori Pednekar.
According to Satish Salian, Kishori Pednekar misled him into lodging a complaint against minister Nitesh Rane.
It may be mentioned here that Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead on June 14, 2020 — days after Disha’s death. The police described Sushant’s death as a case of suicide.