Justice Ashish Chavan of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday recused from hearing a petition filed by Satish Salian, father of Disha Salian, seeking registration of a criminal case on the allegation that his daughter was murdered and did not die by suicide.
Justice Chavan declined to hear the matter when it was taken up before the Court. The reasons for the recusal were not indicated during the proceedings.
Satish Salian had approached the High Court seeking registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under the relevant provisions of criminal law. The petitioner disputed the conclusion reached during the initial inquiry into his daughter’s death and contended that the case warranted investigation as a cognisable offence involving homicide.
Disha Salian, former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai. Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and commenced an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The petition sought judicial intervention for registration of a formal criminal case and a fresh investigation into the matter. The plea forms part of the continuing litigation surrounding the circumstances of Disha Salian’s death, which has remained under scrutiny for several years.
The matter had previously come under consideration before another Division Bench of the High Court. In November last year, the Bench questioned the Maharashtra government regarding the pace of the investigation and sought an explanation as to why the Mumbai Police had not concluded its probe nearly five years after the incident.
Following Justice Chavan’s recusal, the petition is expected to be placed before an appropriate Bench for further consideration in accordance with the roster directions of the High Court.
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