Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday denied ever knowing or meeting Disha Salian, saying his name was being repeatedly linked to her death in what he described as a “deliberate, evidence-free” campaign aimed at character assassination.
Thackeray's clarification comes a day after Salian's father, Satish Salian, said he had given the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the names of several people, including Thackeray, Bollywood actors and police officials, whom he claimed were linked to his daughter's death.
“Let’s cut through the noise and talk facts, once again, I have never met or known Disha Salian,” Thackeray said in a post on X on Wednesday.
Thackeray alleges smear campaign
He alleged that his name had been linked to the case for nearly six years despite there being no evidence, calling it a “relentless smear campaign” driven by vested interests.
“Loud TV debates and media trials do not change the facts,” Thackeray said, urging that the official reinvestigation be allowed to proceed without what he called “malicious distractions and character assassination for political motives”.
CBI registers FIR in case
The CBI recently registered an FIR in the 2020 death case following a Bombay High Court order directing a fresh investigation. The FIR, based on a statement recorded from Salian's father, contains the names of several individuals whose roles are to be examined. However, the CBI has not treated those named in the FIR as accused at this stage. The Bombay High Court had specifically directed that no person should be treated as an accused unless the investigating officer finds sufficient grounds for reasonable suspicion.
Salian was found dead in Mumbai on June 8, 2020. Her death had earlier been recorded as an accidental death, while a subsequent investigation had concluded that there was no evidence of foul play. The fresh CBI probe follows allegations by her father regarding the circumstances surrounding her death and alleged shortcomings in the earlier investigation.
Satish Salian names individuals
In his statement to reporters on Tuesday, Satish Salian said he had named Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and others before the CBI. He said he had been seeking a fresh investigation for years and described the registration of the FIR as a breakthrough.
Thackeray, meanwhile, said attempts to use the issue politically would not deter him from “fighting for the truth” and standing by fellow citizens.
