15 September,2026 01:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BJP leader Ram Kadam. Pic/X
BJP leader Ram Kadam on Tuesday said anyone found guilty in the Disha Salian death case would face legal action, stressing that the law applies equally to politicians, actors and public officials.
His remarks came after the Central Bureau of Investigation registered an FIR in connection with Salian's death following directions from the Bombay High Court. The case has triggered fresh political exchanges in Maharashtra, with BJP leaders targeting the previous government over its handling of the investigation.
Speaking to ANI, Kadam said the investigation should be allowed to proceed on the basis of evidence and that no individual should be treated differently because of their political or public position.
"The names of politicians, actors, and officials have surfaced. The law is equal for everyone. The law does not distinguish between a Thackeray and anyone else; it simply ensures that action is taken in accordance with the law. The guilty will end up behind bars," he said.
Salian, who had worked as a manager for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead on June 8, 2020, after falling from a building in Mumbai's Malad area. Her death was initially recorded as an Accidental Death Report (ADR).
Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence six days later, on June 14, 2020. The two deaths had subsequently become the subject of intense public and political scrutiny.
Kadam questioned why the investigation into Disha Salian's death was not transferred to the CBI earlier and alleged that the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government did not act despite repeated demands from Salian's family.
"When Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Disha's father and her entire family repeatedly stated that Disha had been subjected to atrocities and abuse, and was subsequently murdered. It was not a political party making these claims; it was her own father," he said.
Kadam alleged that the police should have registered a case and conducted a detailed investigation if there were no political considerations involved.
"If no minister or leader from the Thackeray government was involved - if there was no one to shield - they should have immediately instructed the police to register a case transparently and investigate it thoroughly. That did not happen. If there was nothing to hide, what was there to fear?" Kadam added.
The BJP leader also claimed that Salian's father had repeatedly sought a CBI investigation into his daughter's death.
"Her father kept demanding that the investigation be handed over to the CBI. Despite repeated requests, the Thackeray government did not hand the probe over to the CBI; what was the reason?" he said.
The allegations made by Kadam concern the handling of the case by the previous state government and police authorities. The CBI investigation is now underway following the Bombay High Court's directions.
Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on a matter currently being investigated by the central agency.
"It would not be right for me to speak in a case being probed by the CBI," Bawankule said.
The minister's remarks came amid the political debate over the FIR and allegations surrounding the circumstances of Salian's death.
The Bombay High Court had directed the CBI to investigate the case and instructed the agency not to treat any person as an accused at this stage unless sufficient material emerged during the investigation to raise reasonable suspicion.
Meanwhile, Advocate Nilesh Ojha, who represents Salian's father Satish Salian, claimed on Monday that the CBI FIR includes the names of several politicians, actors and police officials.
"The FIR is for gang rape, murder, and a cover-up of this crime. This FIR has been registered under the main offences: Sections 376D, 302, 201, 217, 218, read with 120B of the IPC," Ojha said.
He further claimed that the FIR names Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, actor Dino Morea, actor Sooraj Pancholi, Thackeray's bodyguard, Rohan Roy, actor Rhea Chakraborty, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, then DCP Vishal Thakur, the police inspector of Malwani police station, members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), a doctor and a chemical analyst.
(With inputs from ANI)
