Jiah Khan's mother speaks out on Disha Salian probe as Sooraj Pancholi named in FIR

Late actor Jiah Khan's mother, Rabya Khan, spoke out after actor Sooraj Pancholi's name appeared in the CBI FIR into Disha Salian's death, warning that destroyed evidence risks weakening fresh probes.

In Short

• CBI opened its probe on Disha Salian case after Bombay High Court's orders
• Disha's death was earlier recorded as an Accidental Death Report
• Sooraj Pancholi said he had no connection with Disha in any capacity

Following a Bombay High Court order, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) to begin a fresh probe into the June 2020 death of celebrity manager Disha Salian. The FIR lists several high-profile individuals for investigation under IPC sections for gang rape, murder, and destruction of evidence, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, actor Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea, and Salian’s former partner Rohan Roy.

Responding to Pancholi’s name surfacing in the FIR, late actor Jiah Khan’s mother, Rabya Khan, issued a statement on social media expressing serious doubts about the agency's ability to uncover the truth six years after the incident. Pancholi, who was acquitted by a special CBI court in the Jiah Khan suicide case, subsequently clarified that he did not know Salian in any capacity.

In a note posted on her Instagram Stories, Rabya Khan drew direct parallels to her own long-running legal fight, alleging that authorities risk repeating past investigative failures. "When I hear that the same names have surfaced in another young #DishaSalian murder six years ago, it deeply saddens me and this must alarm everyone (sic)," she wrote.

Warning that fresh probes face a heavy handicap when critical material has been lost or destroyed over time, Khan urged law enforcement to preserve every remaining piece of forensic data. "They are repeating the same method: of justice due to lack of evidence and calling it an abetment to suicide... They are implementing similar method as in Jiah's case," she added, emphasising that "Disha deserves the truth, just as Jiah did (sic)," she added.

Pancholi was arrested in June 2013 following the death of actor Jiah Khan, who was found dead at her Mumbai residence on 3 June 2013. Jiah’s family recovered a six-page note alleging physical and emotional abuse, leading the Mumbai Police — and later the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — to charge Pancholi with abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.

Rabya Khan, contested the suicide ruling, alleging foul play and seeking murder charges. After a decade-long trial, a special CBI court acquitted Pancholi in April 2023, citing a lack of concrete evidence to prove he drove Jiah to take her own life.

Disha Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence. Her death was initially recorded as an Accidental Death Report (ADR) by local police. The latest FIR, registered following a petition by Salian’s father Satish Salian, also names several officials and investigators, with the CBI now proceeding to examine all recorded evidence.

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