24 September,2026 08:45 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Aaditya Thackeray. File Photo
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has refused to apologise to Satish Salian, father of late celebrity manager Disha Salian, in response to a Rs 500-crore defamation notice issued to him, and has rejected the allegations as "frivolous".
The response was sent through Thackeray's advocate Anshuman Sinha. It stated that Thackeray's social media posts did not mention Satish Salian and therefore did not make any defamatory statement against him.
The legal exchange comes amid a renewed investigation into Disha Salian's death after the Bombay High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. The High Court had also made it clear that no person should be treated as an accused unless the investigation produces sufficient material to raise reasonable suspicion against them.
Satish Salian had issued the defamation notice to Thackeray on September 17, alleging that the Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA had defamed him in two posts published in English and Marathi on X a day earlier.
In his reply, Thackeray said the posts were directed at what he described as a sustained campaign by political actors, vested interests and sections of the media linking his name to Disha Salian's death without verified evidence from earlier investigations.
"My client's posts addressed the sustained campaign by political actors, vested interests and sections of the media that have repeatedly linked his name with this tragic case without placing verified evidence in the two SIT investigations," Aaditya's reply said, adding that he had made no defamatory statement about Satish Salian.
The reply also said the issue raised by Thackeray was the use of Disha Salian's death in political and public campaigns rather than any attempt to target her father.
"The real concern is the political use being made of this tragedy by persons seeking to advance their own agenda," it said.
Thackeray has also maintained his earlier statement that he had never met or known Disha Salian.
In a separate statement last week, Thackeray had denied knowing or meeting Disha and described the allegations linking him to her death as an "evidence-free" attempt at character assassination. The CBI registered an FIR on September 14 following the High Court's order, with several names appearing in connection with the investigation. The High Court, however, specifically directed that no individual should be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerges during the probe.
In his response to the defamation notice, Thackeray also pointed to what he described as inconsistencies between statements made by Satish Salian immediately after his daughter's death and statements made at later stages.
"Let the official re-investigation proceed," it said, adding that the CBI should conduct its probe independently.
Thackeray's legal response made it clear that he did not intend to apologise or pay compensation in response to the Rs 500-crore notice.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of the renewed investigation into Disha Salian's death. The Bombay High Court, while ordering the CBI probe, directed the agency to investigate all aspects surrounding the circumstances in which she died. It also said that if the investigation finds that no offence was committed, an appropriate report should be filed before the competent court.
The court had raised several questions about aspects of the earlier investigation, including the timing of the spot panchnama, the registration of the accidental death report and the delayed seizure of Disha's phone and laptop. However, it cautioned that those observations were made while deciding whether a fresh investigation was warranted and were not findings of guilt against any individual.
Disha Salian, 28, who had worked as actor Sushant Singh Rajput's manager, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. Rajput died at his Bandra residence six days later, leading to repeated public speculation about a possible connection between the two deaths.
The Mumbai Police had earlier investigated Disha's death and concluded that there was no evidence of foul play. A subsequent Special Investigation Team also examined the matter, with the earlier investigations concluding that she had died by suicide.
However, Satish Salian later sought a fresh investigation, alleging that the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death required further examination. The Bombay High Court on September 2 directed the CBI to register an FIR and conduct an independent investigation into the case.
(With inputs from PTI)
