Actor Pancholi denies link to Salian death after CBI names him in FIR

Actor Sooraj Pancholi has publicly denied any connection to the 2020 death of celebrity manager Disha Salian after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named him in a First Information Report (FIR). The FIR was registered on September 14, 2026, following a directive from the Bombay High Court. In a detailed statement posted on Instagram on September 15, Pancholi stated he had never met Salian or Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray. "I have never met Late Disha Salian in my life, directly or indirectly. I have also never met Aditya Thackeray in my life!" he wrote. He described the inclusion of his name as "very unfair and extremely upsetting." The FIR was filed after the Bombay High Court, on September 2, ordered the CBI to investigate the circumstances surrounding Salian's death. Advocate Nilesh Ojha, representing Salian's father Satish Salian, confirmed the FIR includes names such as Aaditya Thackeray, Rhea Chakraborty, Dino Morea, and several law enforcement officials. The FIR reportedly includes allegations of gang assault, murder, and a cover-up. Pancholi emphasized that his name being mentioned in an FIR does not establish guilt.