The mysterious death of Disha Salian, a former manager of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, took a surprising turn on Wednesday, after her father, Satish Salian, filed a petition in the Bombay High Court for a fresh investigation.
Alleging that his daughter was ‘murdered’ and that her death was a politically motivated cover-up, Satish revealed that he is now seeking an FIR against Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray and a transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Amidst this fresh wave of allegations, Salian’s 2020 letter to ACP Dilip Yadav, Malwani Division has resurfaced online. In the note, the father of the late celebrity manager had strongly condemned the media for allegedly ‘spreading false narratives’ about his daughter’s death and theories about a connection to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise.
In a formal complaint to the police, he urged authorities to take action against journalists and media outlets responsible for what he termed as “cooked-up stories.”
Calling the media and fan’s interest in the case as ‘harassment’, he expressed deep distress in his letter with the subject, “Mental harassment and consequent victimization of my family and deceased daughter Disha Salian by journalists and media people.”
Calling out the heightened media scrutiny on his daughter’s death, he wrote, “The media people come unannounced at my house hiding their original brand in the name of interviews regarding the death of my daughter. They are providing the media with misleading news which are not only creating hindrance to the actual inquiry being conducted, but it’s also taking a toll on my family.”
Further alleging harassment, he added that he and his family ‘do not suspect foul play’. The note read, “We are being harassed by these people by repeatedly questioning our faith in Mumbai Police and their way of inquiries are conducted. We have already given our statement to the police that we do not suspect anyone of foul play.”
While he is now alleging a political cover-up, in 2020, he refuted claims linking Disha to politicians, Bollywood celebrities, or any alleged criminal activities, stating that the reports were fabricated for sensationalism. “News about her involvement with any politician or attending parties with big names of film fraternity, rape, murder are all the stories cooked by these media people just to sell it to channels. These stories hold no truth,” the letter stated.
In his complaint, he also claimed, “These are misleading the people and tarnishing my daughter’s reputation and my family’s reputation. These fake news are taking a huge toll on my family’s health and we are being victimized by the media. We are completely satisfied with the investigations being conducted by Mumbai Police and have faith in them,” he added.
He even urged authorities to take “reasonable action” against those responsible for spreading misinformation, including journalists, influencers, and politicians who have contributed to these “insensitive act towards us.”
The case of Disha Salian’s death had been the subject of intense media scrutiny, particularly due to its proximity to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020.
