Seema Pahuja: CBI Officer Leading Sushant Rajput's Ex-Manager's Death Probe

Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a first information report (FIR) in the 2020 death of Disha Salian - the former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the probe agency's top officer Seema Pahuja is set to begin leading the investigation. The FIR was filed after going through complaints by Disha Salian's father, Satish Salian, which included the names of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and actor Dino Morea, among others.

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area - days before Sushant Singh Rajput's death in a Bandra flat. Her death was earlier recorded as an accidental death report (ADR). While the police, after conducting an inquiry, claimed that Salian died by suicide, her father filed a petition in the High Court last year, alleging his daughter was gang raped and murdered.

Subsequently, the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to file an FIR and investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

Who is Seema Pahuja?

Seema Pahuja is currently posted as Superintendent of Police in the Special Crime Unit at CBI Headquarters in Delhi. She will be joined by other CBI officers, including the investigating officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar, to probe the death case of Disha Salian.

Pahuja has particular experience in complex criminal cases and forensic evidence investigations, including several high-profile and sensitive cases.

The CBI officer was part of the team investigating the 2024 Kolkata RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. She was also part of the 15-member CBI team formed to investigate the Hathras case in Uttar Pradesh, as well as played a role in the Unnao rape case investigation. The CBI had also tasked Pahuja with investigating the infamous Gudiya case in Himachal Pradesh. 

Pahuja was also involved in the investigation of the rape and murder of a minor girl in Shimla.

In 2021, Pahuja received a Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officer. 

The CBI investigation

The FIR filed by the CBI lists sections related to criminal conspiracy, gang rape, murder, destruction of evidence, and falsification of records by a public servant to protect the perpetrators. However, no individual has been named as an accused so far. 

Officials said that the case was registered following a High Court order, and the process of recording statements and conducting an investigation has now begun.

According to officials, a key part of the investigation will involve recording statements from those who were present at a party at Salian's fiance Rohan Roy's house in Mumbai the night before her death. The CBI team will attempt to connect the events of that night with the available evidence.