18 September,2026 03:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Amit and Aaditya Thackeray. PIC/ AADITYA THACKERAY ON INSTAGRAM
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray on Friday came out in defence of his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, asserting that the latter could never be involved in the Disha Salian death case, news agency PTI reported.
The MNS leader's statement came days after Aaditya claimed that he had never known or met Salian and alleged that political opponents were attempting to tarnish his character by deliberately linking his name to the celebrity manager's death.
"I don't know how to look at this, but as a brother I can tell you that Aaditya can never be involved in such a thing," Amit, the son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, told reporters.
The CBI has registered a first information report (FIR) in the Disha Salian death case, naming no accused in compliance with Bombay High Court directives on a petition filed by her father.
Salian, the 28-year-old former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, in Mumbai's Malad area.
The city police had registered an accidental death report (ADR) and subsequently claimed, after an inquiry, that it was a case of suicide.
A week later, Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020, triggering speculation about a possible link between the two deaths.
On September 2, the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into Salian's death while pulling up the Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR for six years and observing that its investigation raised more questions than answers.
After the CBI registered the FIR in the case, Aaditya, in a post on X on Wednesday, said that such malicious propaganda with political motives would not deter him from fighting for the truth.
"Let's cut through the noise and talk facts, once again: I have never met or known Disha Salian. Linking my name to this tragic case constantly is a deliberate, evidence-free attempt at character assassination by a few individuals with clear political and personal motives, for almost 6 years," he wrote.
(With PTI inputs)
