Disha Salian case: Closure report cited father’s betrayal as a factor

Disha Salian died after allegedly falling from the 12th floor of a residential building in Malad. File pic

Satish Salian, the father of Disha Salian - who recently filed a petition accusing several high-profile figures for his daughter's death - was named in the earlier police closure report as one of the factors contributing to her alleged depressive state on the night of her death. The Malwani police's closure report, submitted after investigating Disha Salian's alleged suicide on June 8, 2020, states that apart from failed projects and misunderstandings with friends, her father had misused her hard-earned money, spending it on a female employee at his spice-making unit in Thane.

Disha had confided in a few friends, including her fiancé, about this betrayal. On June 2, 2020, after confronting her father over the money transfers, she moved to stay at her fiancé Rohan Roy's flat in Jankalyan Nagar. Following an extensive probe, which included evidence collection and witness statements, the Malwani police concluded that Disha had died by suicide. The closure report was filed on February 4, 2021.

The fatal night

On the night between June 8 and 9, 2020, Disha allegedly jumped from the 12th floor of Regent Galaxy Tower in Jankalyan Nagar, Malad. She was rushed to Evershine Nursing Home, then to Tunga Hospital, and finally to Shatabdi Hospital, where she was declared brought dead.

The investigation revealed that the flat from which she jumped belonged to her fiancé, Rohan Roy. Disha and Rohan had been in a relationship since 2014 and got engaged in 2017, with plans to marry after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malwani police had concluded that Disha had died by suicide

Salian had initially been living in Dadar Naigaon with her parents, but after purchasing the flat in Malad, she split her time between both places. Until the lockdown, she and Rohan were living at her father's house in Naigaon, but they moved to the Malad flat on June 4, 2020. Further investigations revealed that Roy, an actor and model, had worked in several TV serials, while Salian was a celebrity manager and had previously worked with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

The Malwani police determined that at the time of the incident, Salian's fiancé Roy was present, along with her childhood school and college friends - Indranil Vaidya, Deep Ajmera, Himanshu Shikhre, and Resha Padwal. Upon discovering the incident, they rushed Salian to the hospital and also informed her parents, Satish and Vasanthi Salian, over the phone, asking them to reach Shatabdi Hospital in the early hours of June 9, 2020.

An inquest panchnama was conducted at Shatabdi Hospital in the presence of witnesses. Salian's clothes and belongings were collected and sent for forensic examination. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a swab test was also conducted, and her body was kept for one to two days pending the results. Once the COVID test returned negative, an autopsy was performed at Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli. The autopsy report confirmed that Salian died due to multiple injuries, indicating an unnatural death. The police recorded statements from Salian's friends, fiancé Roy, and her parents.

"Everyone stated that Salian was under stress due to business and family issues. She was working as a celebrity manager at Cornerstone Company, and two of the projects she was handling had stalled, which left her upset. All of Salian's friends and her fiancé Roy also stated in their police statements that she had confided in them about her father's affair and how he had spent the money she gave him for business on another woman. This deeply saddened her," the report said.

Party on June 8

As per the closure report Salian hosted a birthday party for her friends Indranil and Deep at her flat on June 8, 2020. The gathering started at 7 pm on June 8, with music and alcohol and Disha on the night of her death was was drunk. Around 11.45 pm, Salian received a call from her London-based friend, Ankita, and went to the bedroom. Indranil, Deep, Rohan, Risha, and Himanshu later joined her. Eventually, Himanshu returned to the hall, followed by Salian, who appeared distressed.

Shortly after, Salian locked herself inside the bedroom. When Rohan's friends noticed her absence, they informed him. He knocked but got no response. Assuming she was in the bathroom, he initially ignored it. After knocking again with no answer, they forced open the door, finding the room empty. The bathroom was vacant too. Seeing the open window, they looked outside and found Salian lying near a parked car.

Satisfied with investigation

Her parents accepted the police investigation, which concluded suicide as the cause of death. However, following Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, fresh claims led to a reinvestigation. The final closure report reaffirmed suicide, with no note found. Statements from Salian's friends, parents, and all individuals who visited the building between June 4 and June 9, 2020, were recorded. Additionally, the statements of everyone who called Disha on or before the day of the incident were documented.

Call data records, CCTV footage of the building, and a clone of Disha's mobile phone data were preserved. Statements from witnesses, relatives, and friends were also considered. Forensic and post-mortem reports were thoroughly analysed, and based on all collected evidence, it was concluded that ADR number 85/2020, registered with Malwani police, was a case of suicide.

The reason for the suicide was not explicitly disclosed, and no suicide note was found. The police recorded detailed statements from Salian's father, Satish, and mother, Vasanthi, who did not raise any complaints, leading to the registration of an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

Social media allegations

Social media later fueled allegations of gang rape and political involvement after Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide. On July 9, 2020, Salian's father filed a complaint against three YouTubers for defaming his daughter. In 2023, he also filed a complaint against former Union Minister Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh. Currently, both are out on bail.

Fresh petition

The case resurfaced after Satish Salian filed a petition , alleging his daughter was raped and murdered. His petition names high-profile figures, including Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, ex-Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh, and dismissed officer Sachin Waze, demanding a case against all accused in the 2020 incident.

Other side

The reporter attempted to contact Disha's father, Satish Salian, for his response, but he did not reply to messages or calls. However, his lawyer, Nilesh Ojha, provided a statement, saying: "It is important to note that as per the binding judgment of the Supreme Court, any closure report filed in an enquiry under Section 174 CrPC (Accidental Death Report/ADR) has no evidentiary value and cannot be relied upon by the accused in cases where cognisable offences are clearly disclosed. Therefore, the earlier closure report holds no legal weight."