The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale also directed the Mumbai Police to hand over all records and case papers relating to Salian's death to the CBI.

Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. Her death occurred days before Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence.

At the time, the Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in connection with Salian's death. Following an inquiry, the police had concluded that she had died by suicide.

The High Court's order came on a petition filed by Salian's father, Satish Salian, who alleged serious lapses in the investigation conducted by the Mumbai Police.

The petition also alleged that Salian had been gang-raped and murdered before her death. The allegations have not been established by any court.

During an earlier hearing, another Division Bench of the High Court had raised concerns over the registration of only an ADR instead of an FIR, particularly in view of the family's allegations of murder.

The court had also noted that copies of the post-mortem report and the ADR had allegedly not been provided to Salian's family even five years after her death.

While directing the CBI to investigate the matter, the court made it clear that no individual should be treated as an accused unless the investigating officer finds sufficient material against them.

The court directed the CBI to record the statement of Satish Salian, register an FIR and appoint a senior officer to conduct the investigation. The Malvani Police Station has also been directed to hand over all relevant records to the central agency.

The court further clarified that if the investigation does not disclose any offence, the CBI would be required to submit an appropriate summary report before the competent court.

Satish Salian would have the liberty to challenge such a report, the court said.

The order comes more than six years after Disha Salian's death and places the case under a fresh investigation by the CBI.