The lawyer representing late celebrity manager Disha Salian's father, Satish Salian, on Wednesday, 16 September, confirmed that Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede is among the four witnesses named in the case surrounding her death. The disclosure comes days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR in the matter, acting on directions from the Bombay High Court.

What Advocate Ojha Revealed

Advocate Nilesh Ojha, who appears for the Salian family, stated that while he could not disclose all witness names at this stage, Sameer Wankhede's involvement had been established from the outset of their legal effort. 'Regarding the witnesses, I cannot disclose all the names right now. However, one of our witnesses is Sameer Wankhede. He has been a witness for us from the very beginning, though we had not disclosed it previously,' Ojha said.

Ojha further claimed that in Writ Petition 1612, the legal team had named Wankhede as Respondent No. 9, alleging that during his investigation of the case, he came into possession of critical digital evidence. Specifically, Ojha alleged that Wankhede holds mobile tower location data purportedly placing Aditya Thackeray, Sooraj Pancholi, Dino Morea, and others at the scene connected to Disha Salian's death. These are unverified allegations at this stage.

The CBI FIR and High Court Backdrop

The CBI's registration of an FIR, on the orders of the Bombay High Court, marked a significant development in a case that had long remained contested. The High Court's order, according to Ojha, itself lists ten points that reportedly challenge the original police conclusion and point to what the petitioners describe as 'foul play' rather than suicide. 'The High Court order itself lists ten points that prove the police report to be incorrect and makes it clear that this is not a case of suicide, but of foul play,' Ojha said.

Link to Sushant Singh Rajput Case

In a statement made a day earlier, Ojha claimed the evidence the legal team plans to submit to the CBI would be, in his words, 'similar to a death nail' for those named in the FIR. He also asserted that some of the evidence has a bearing on the death of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, though he did not elaborate further. This is not the first time the two cases have been linked in public discourse, though investigators have not formally established any connection.

Who Is Sameer Wankhede

Sameer Wankhede, an officer of the Indian Revenue Service, is no stranger to high-profile controversies. On 2 October 2021, he led a search and seizure operation aboard a cruise ship operated by Cordelia Cruises, during which Aryan Khan — son of actor Shah Rukh Khan — was arrested along with 19 others on charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. That case itself drew prolonged legal and political scrutiny. Wankhede has not yet publicly responded to the latest claims made by advocate Ojha.

What Comes Next

With the CBI now formally seized of the matter, the investigation is expected to move toward evidence collection and witness examination. Ojha indicated that 80 per cent of the groundwork for the Salian family's case has already been established through the High Court proceedings. The submission of evidence to the CBI, including the materials Ojha described, is expected in the near term and could shape the trajectory of the probe.