Maharashtra, Sept. 17 -- A Rs.500 crore legal notice has been issued to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in connection with the death case of Disha Salian, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
The notice was sent by Disha Salian's father, Satish Salian, who has accused the two politicians of portraying his pursuit of justice for his daughter as politically motivated. He has sought damages, along with a public apology and withdrawal of the statements he considers defamatory.
Disha Salian, 28, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a high-rise residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. Her death was initially treated by police as an accidental death and an Accidental Death Report was registered. Sushant Singh Rajput died six days later. Satish Salian subsequently approached the Bombay High Court seeking registration of an FIR and a fresh investigation into his daughter's death. His petition raised allegations involving several people, including Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi. The Central Bureau of Investigation has now taken up the matter following the registration of a fresh FIR.
According to the legal notice, Satish Salian has objected to remarks allegedly made by Thackeray and Deshmukh that characterised his legal efforts as politically motivated or intended to target Thackeray. The notice argues that such statements damaged the reputation and credibility of a bereaved father seeking an investigation into his daughter's death. The notice also alleges that Thackeray falsely represented that the CBI had already investigated the matter and given him a clean chit. It further refers to an earlier statement attributed to Deshmukh, who had described the Disha Salian case as a conspiracy to defame Thackeray. Satish Salian has demanded an unconditional written and public apology from both leaders. The notice calls for the apology to be carried across major print, television and digital platforms. It also seeks a video apology of at least three minutes to be posted on the official social media accounts of Thackeray and Deshmukh.
The development comes days after the CBI registered an FIR in the case. The FIR was filed under provisions relating to murder and criminal conspiracy, among other offences. Aaditya Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rhea Chakraborty, along with doctors and staff associated with Disha Salian's post-mortem, have been listed among those whose roles require investigation. Thackeray has denied having any connection with Disha Salian. He said he had never met or known her and described attempts to link him to the case as evidence-free and politically motivated. He has also called for the official investigation to proceed without what he described as political distractions or character assassination. The CBI investigation is now expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Salian's death, review earlier records and statements, and assess the allegations raised in the case. The investigation will determine the facts and establish whether the allegations made by various parties are supported by evidence.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.