The reopening of Disha Salian’s death case is a test of whether India’s investigative institutions can revisit a deeply contested conclusion without succumbing to either political pressure or public spectacle. Six years after the 28-year-old celebrity manager fell from a Mumbai building, the Bombay High Court’s intervention has brought the circumstances of her death back into legal scrutiny. The implications extend beyond one family’s prolonged search for answers. The court’s concerns about the police investigation, including unexplained discrepancies and the failure to register an FIR, raise questions about the adequacy of the original inquiry.

These are not minor procedural details. In a suspicious death, the quality of evidence collection and the completeness of the investigation determine whether the truth can be established. When serious questions remain unanswered, public confidence shatters. Yet the reopening must not be mistaken for confirmation of murder. Disha’s father, Satish Salian, has alleged that his daughter was sexually assaulted and murdered, and that influential people were protected through the suppression or fabrication of evidence. His complaint also alleges a connection with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput,........

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