The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR in the death case of celebrity manager Disha Salian, reopening a case that has remained under public scrutiny for more than six years.

The move follows a Bombay High Court order directing the CBI to conduct a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death.

Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a high-rise building in Mumbai’s Malad area. She was 28. Her death came only days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput, whom she had briefly managed, was found dead at his Mumbai home.

The two deaths triggered widespread speculation and several theories about a possible connection. However, the investigations into the two cases were conducted separately.

The latest FIR was registered on September 14 after Salian’s father, Satish Salian, approached the CBI. A special team has been formed to investigate the case.

Mumbai Police had initially treated Salian’s death as an Accidental Death Report (ADR). The police investigation concluded that she had died by suicide and did not find evidence of criminal involvement.

A Special Investigation Team formed by the Maharashtra government in 2023 also examined the case but did not find evidence of foul play.

Salian’s family, however, continued to question the circumstances of her death. Her father later approached the Bombay High Court, seeking a fresh and independent investigation.

He alleged that his daughter had been sexually assaulted and murdered and that evidence connected with the case had been suppressed.

The High Court did not treat these allegations as proven. Instead, it directed the CBI to examine the claims and determine whether a criminal offence had taken place.

The court also pointed to what it described as discrepancies in the earlier investigation. It raised questions about the manner in which the case had been handled and whether all necessary legal procedures had been followed.

The new CBI FIR includes allegations related to murder, gang rape, criminal conspiracy and destruction or fabrication of evidence. These allegations will now have to be examined by investigators.

Several well-known names have appeared in the FIR in connection with the allegations being investigated. They include Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rohan Roy, among others.

Being named in an FIR does not mean that a person has been found guilty or accused of committing the crime. The CBI will have to examine the evidence and determine whether any individual has a criminal role in the case.

The agency is expected to examine witness statements, forensic evidence, CCTV footage and documents from the earlier investigation. It may also question people who were present or connected to the events surrounding Salian’s death.

The High Court had raised concerns about the long gap between the initial inquiry and the registration of a formal FIR. It also stressed the importance of conducting a proper investigation before evidence is lost or becomes difficult to verify.

The handling of important case documents and the post-mortem report had also come under scrutiny during the court proceedings. Salian’s family had raised questions over access to some of these records.

The fresh investigation comes at a time when the case continues to attract political and public attention. Aaditya Thackeray and others named in connection with the case have rejected the allegations against them.

The CBI will now have to establish whether the allegations have any basis in evidence and whether criminal proceedings are justified.

Salian’s death has remained linked in public discussion with the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who died six days later. Despite the timing, authorities have investigated the two deaths as separate cases.

The latest CBI probe could now provide a clearer picture of what happened to Salian and whether anyone was responsible for her death.

After years of speculation and conflicting claims, the focus has shifted to the evidence. The CBI investigation will determine whether the earlier conclusion of suicide stands or whether there is evidence pointing to a different sequence of events.