Disha Salian Death Case: Mumbai Police Reiterates Suicide Theory, Denies Rape & Murder Allegations In HC Affidavit

Mumbai: The Mumbai police has categorically denied that Disha Salian was raped and murdered. The police had maintained this position when the Uddhav Thackeray government was in power. It is sticking to the same stand under the BJP-led Mahayuti government as well.

In an affidavit-in-reply filed in Bombay high court on Wednesday in connection with the criminal writ petition filed by Disha's father Satish Salian, senior inspector of Malvani police station Shailendra Nagarkar, has prayed that the petition, which seeks to transfer the probe to the CBI and action against the SIT appointed to reinvestigate the alleged crime, be rejected.

Nagarkar has given details of what reportedly happened on the crucial night when Disha's body was found.

Nagarkar said on June 9, 2020 sub-inspector Devde received message from Shatabdi Hospital, Kandivli (W) that a female by the name Disha Salian ( 28) had fallen down from the window of her 12th floor flat, room no.1202, Regent Galaxy building, Janakalyan Nagar, Malwani, Malad, (w), at about I. 20 a.m. She was declared dead at 2:25 am before her admission.

An accidental death report (ADR) No. 85/2020 was registered and enquiry under section 174 of the Crpc was initiated. As per COVID - 19 norms, on June 9, 2020 covid swab of the deceased was taken and after the receipt of the negative report (RTPCR) post mortem was performed at Bhagwati Hospital, Borivali on June 11the sa and the cremation took place the same day at the Malvani crematorium. No one suspected foul play.

Nagarkar said Disha was working in the advertising industry and in love with Rohan Roy since 2017. They got engaged with the consent of their parents in 2017. Meanwhile, she introduced Rohan to her childhood friends, lndranil, Deep, Himanshu, Resha and Ankita and they would meet often.

In 2018, the parents of Rohan purchased the Malad flat and where Disha Salian, despite being a resident of Dadar, would sometimes stayover with her fiance. On June 5, 2020, Rohan had planned an ad shoot for Bingo Co. at his residence. Rohan and Disha reached the flat the day before and the shoot was completed on June 5, 2020.

On June 6, 2020 Rohan wanted to celebrate the belated birthday of Disha and Indranil and invited his friends for the same for which one Himanshu Shikare also came. The next day June 7, 2020, other friends from the group namely Deep, Indranil and Resha Padwal came to Rohan's residence. Everyone consumed beer and watched movies and listened to music and retired for the day at the same Flat.

On June 8, 2020 all the friends above named were in the same flat and in the evening at about 7.00 p.m. they started consuming liquor in the living room and played cards while listening to music and watching movies.

At about 11.45 pm , Disha got a video call from her friend Ankita in London after which she went to the bedroom. In the interim, at regular intervals lndranil and Deep were walking in and out of the bedroom, where Disha was on video call. Thereafter Resha, Rohan and Himanshu went to the same bedroom while Deep, Indranil and Disha were talking to Ankita on video call.

"Suddenly Disha left the bedroom. She was sobbing. Resha asked lndranil as to what happened suddenly, to which lndranil responded saying she is upset," Nagarkar added.

A moment later Himanshu came to the bedroom and informed Rohan that Disha, who had consumed liquor, looked upset and has locked herself in another bedroom. Since there was no response to the repeated knocks, Rohan broke open the door.

However, Disha was not to be found. He then looked out of the window and was shocked to find Disha lying in the building compound in a pool of blood.

Having gone into a state of shock, Rohan Roy informed Indranil. Deep and Himanshu went downstairs and rushed a bleeding Disha in Indranil' s car. Since private hospitals had refused to admit Disha, she was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli where she was declared dead before admission.

Nagarkar said the statements of all the people present with Disha were recorded. Even Disha's London-based friend Ankita Satur's statement was also recorded. "It has been revealed that deceased was under tremendous mental stress due to dispute with her family (and) her business deals could not be materialized. She was under the impression that her school days friend were avoiding her........ On June 5, 2020 (she) woke up in the midnight and said `I am good for nothing' and Rohan Roy consoled her. Disha was heavily drunk before her death. This has been confirmed by the blood testing report of Disha done at the Forensic Science Laboratery, Kalina," Nagarkar stated.

He said the statements of all those were in the flat on the crucial night were on the same lines. "I say that in the light of these pressing circumstances, the deceased Disha Salian, out of her own volition jumped off the window......and committed suicide."

"There were six CCTV cameras installed at vital points in the premises of Regent Galaxy building. All the CCTV footages of all the six cameras were carefully observed for the duration between 4th June 2020 to 9th June 2020. Nothing suspicious or objectionable activities were noticed. Those footage were in coherent with the statement of the witnesses," Nagar added.

"I say that mobile call detail records of all the people present on the fateful night as well as other important people were called and carefully observed. However nothing suspicious or objectionable calls were found," the affidavit states.

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Nagarkar said the post-mortem report was ``conclusive in nature and mentions no signs of sexual and / or physical assault and no trace of semen or vaginal rupture.... '' Since questions were raised about the investigation, the government appointed an SIT which endorsed the findings of the earlier investigation.