Sooraj Pancholi breaks silence on Disha Salian death, says 'never met her'
Actor Sooraj Pancholi has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding the death of Disha Salian, saying his name has been repeatedly dragged into the case despite him having no connection with her. Pancholi said he had never met Salian or Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray and maintained that he was willing to cooperate with investigating agencies after CBI named him among those whose roles require investigation in Salian's death case.
Pancholi has responded after the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a first information report in connection with the death of Disha Salian.
The CBI registered the FIR on Monday after the Bombay High Court directed a thorough probe into the case. The FIR names Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and his father and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in relation to the death of Disha Salian, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
The FIR also names actors Sooraj Pancholi and Dino Morea, along with Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty, among those whose roles require investigation.
Pancholi shared a detailed note on Instagram on Monday, September 14, and captioned it, “Please read because I’m sure the media won’t cover this!” He said he was putting the statement in the public domain to clarify what he described as “certain facts”.
In his statement, Pancholi said, “I have never met Late Disha Salian in my life, directly or indirectly. I have also never met Aditya Thackeray in my life!”
The actor said he found it “extremely upsetting” that his name had continued to feature in discussions around Salian's death. He added that there was no evidence or proof connecting him to the matter.
Pancholi also claimed that he had already been questioned by the CBI and police several years ago, with his statement recorded “almost 4-5 years ago”.
“I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE!” he wrote, adding that he was willing to appear before the investigating agencies again if they required any further information from him.
The actor also said he supported a “fair and thorough CBI investigation” into the circumstances surrounding Salian's death. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sooraj P (@soorajpancholi)SOORAJ PANCHOLI ON MEDIA REPORTS
Pancholi further called for an investigation into what he described as “malicious propaganda and false narratives” surrounding the case. He said a person's death should not become a reason to damage another individual's reputation without evidence.
Addressing people following the case through television debates and social media, he wrote, “A headline is not evidence. A debate is not evidence. Someone saying something on television does not make it a fact.”
He urged people to verify information before forming opinions about those whose names have been discussed in connection with the case.
“I have stayed quiet for a long time, but I will not allow my name to be continuously dragged into something I have absolutely no connection with,” Pancholi wrote.
He concluded by saying that he had faith in the law and investigating agencies and believed that the truth would eventually emerge.WHAT IS THE DISHA SALIAN CASE?
The development comes as the CBI has begun a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding Disha Salian's death.
Salian, who had worked as a manager for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, days before Rajput was found dead at his residence in Mumbai. Her death had initially been recorded as an Accidental Death Report (ADR).
The Bombay High Court subsequently directed the CBI to register an FIR and conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Salian's death. During an earlier hearing, a Division Bench comprising Justice Bharti Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande raised questions about the fact that only an ADR had been registered despite allegations by Salian's family that she had been murdered.
The court also noted that Salian's family had not received copies of the post-mortem report and ADR even years after her death.
Following the court's direction, Salian's father, Satish Salian, said he had provided investigating authorities with details about the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death and named several people whom he wanted questioned.
Speaking to ANI, Satish Salian said he had mentioned the names of Aaditya Thackeray, Sooraj Pancholi, Dino Morea and bodyguards to the investigators. His statement forms part of the family's allegations and does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by the individuals named.- EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 09:21 IST
