Updated: November 27, 2020 2:45:01 am
Disha Salian, 28, died on June 8 this year after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in suburban Malad, following which the city police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR). (File)
The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into the death Disha Salian, the former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide on June 14.
The PIL, filed by Delhi-based lawyer Puneet Kaur Dhanda through advocate Vineet Dhanda, also sought that the Mumbai Police be directed to hand over the investigation report to the petitioner.
Maintaining that there was no reason to entertain the PIL, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni noted that Dhanda had no locus standi to file such a case. It added that if there is any “foul play”, the family members of the deceased can pursue the same as per law. Any person having information of cognizable offence related to a death can approach the police and pursue the matter as per Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the court said.
Salian (28), died on June 8, after allegedly falling from the 14th floor of a residential building at Malad, Mumbai. In the petition, while submitting that the police have only registered an accidental death report, Dhanda sought that the case be transferred to the CBI and monitored by the HC.
The Supreme Court, on October 26, had refused to entertain a plea for a court-monitored CBI probe in the case and had given Dhanda the liberty to approach the HC.
The HC asked Vineet Dhanda if he had approached the police to provide any information regarding Salian’s death after the police issued a press note in August, seeking information pertaining to the case. Dhanda responded that while he had not approached the police, a petition was served to it. To this, the bench said that the same is not sufficient.
Questioning the capacity to file the petition, the bench asked Dhanda, “Who are you? If there is any foul play in the death of Disha Salian, then her family can approach authorities.” To this, Dhanda replied, “Families can be threatened too.”
After hearing the submissions, the bench said: “There is no record to show that the petitioner approached the police with relevant information to unearth the death of Disha Salian. The petitioner instead approached the Supreme Court.”
Dismissing the PIL, it added, “If any person has information of cognizable offence in pursuance to death of Disha Salian, he or she shall pursue procedure of law to approach police.”
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/bombay-hc-dismisses-plea-seeking-cbi-probe-into-disha-salians-death-7069206/
