Mumbai, March 21, 2025 – Nearly five years after the mysterious death of Disha Salian, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the case has taken a dramatic turn with her father, Satish Salian, filing a petition in the Bombay High Court on March 19, 2025. The petition demands a reinvestigation into her death on June 8, 2020, alleging that Disha was “brutally gang-raped and murdered” and that a politically motivated cover-up shielded influential figures, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. Satish has called for the registration of an FIR against Thackeray and the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), reigniting a controversy that has long simmered in Maharashtra’s political and entertainment circles.
Disha Salian died after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area, an incident initially classified by Mumbai Police as an accidental death. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed in December 2023 later concluded it was a suicide, finding no evidence of foul play. However, Satish’s petition challenges these findings, claiming the police hastily closed the case without adequately examining forensic evidence, eyewitness testimonies, or the suspiciously clean crime scene. “There were no injuries consistent with a fall from such a height, no bloodstains—nothing added up,” Satish told reporters, asserting that he was misled by authorities at the time but now possesses “irrefutable evidence” of a darker truth.
The petition directly accuses Aaditya Thackeray, son of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, of involvement in Disha’s death, alleging that political pressure from the then-ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government suppressed the investigation. It also references coercion by figures like then-Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Disha’s fiancé, Rohan Rai, who allegedly pressured Satish to accept the official narrative. Advocate Nilesh Ojha, representing the Salian family, confirmed the petition was in the process of being formally registered with the High Court on March 20, 2025, and is expected to be numbered today, March 21.
The allegations have triggered a political maelstrom. Aaditya Thackeray, addressing the media on March 20, dismissed the claims as a five-year-long campaign to tarnish his image. “We have no connection to this case. I’ll present my side in court,” he said, labeling it a politically driven attack. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut echoed this, calling it a BJP-orchestrated distraction from other controversies, like the Aurangzeb row. “It was an accident, not murder. The whole state knows the politics behind this,” Raut told agencies. Conversely, BJP leaders, including Nitesh Rane, have rallied behind Satish’s plea, with Rane demanding Thackeray’s arrest and resignation as an MLA, citing Supreme Court guidelines on rape allegations.
Adding a poignant twist, Sushant Singh Rajput’s father, K.K. Singh, has voiced support for Satish’s petition. Sushant died six days after Disha, on June 14, 2020, in what was ruled a suicide, though speculation of a link between the two deaths has persisted. “What he’s done is right. It might clarify whether it was suicide or murder—and maybe connect to Sushant’s case,” Singh said on March 20, fueling theories that have circulated since 2020.
The case’s history is fraught with contention. In 2021, Mumbai Police closed their initial probe, and the 2023 SIT upheld the suicide verdict. Yet, unanswered questions—like the use of Disha’s phone hours after her death, missing CCTV footage, and Rai’s temporary disappearance—have kept conspiracy theories alive. Satish’s petition now alleges evidence tampering, including a delayed post-mortem (over 50 hours, compared to Sushant’s same-day autopsy) and a hurried cremation to destroy signs of assault.
Security has been heightened around the Salian residence in Mumbai since March 20, with police deployed amid escalating tensions, as reported by agencies. The Bombay High Court’s response to the petition could reshape the narrative around Disha’s death, potentially implicating high-profile names and exposing cracks in past investigations. For now, Maharashtra braces for a legal and political showdown, as the shadow of June 2020 looms larger than ever.