Disha Salian’s death: Mahayuti demands Aaditya’s arrest; Thackerays say no link to the case

Aaditya and his father, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, have flatly denied any link to Disha’s death, with Aaditya alleging that there has been a concerted effort to malign him

MUMBAI: Almost five years after her fall from a high-rise in suburban Malad was registered by the police as an accidental death, celebrity PR manager Disha Salian’s father, Satish Salian, has now claimed that she was gangraped and murdered. He also claims there was a politically orchestrated cover-up in the death of Salian, who briefly managed the PR for actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

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However, till the time of going to press, Salian’s lawyer Nilesh Ojha had not yet filed the petition to reopen the case in the Bombay High Court. He, however, told the media on Thursday that he would be urging the court to direct the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, and actors Dino Morea and Suraj Pancholi.

It is his contention that the actors, Aaditya, Disha and her friends were allegedly present together at a party just days before the 28-year-old’s death. Salian will also seek the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Up until now, Disha Salian’s father has been maintaining that his daughter died by suicide and that there was no cover up in the investigation of her death.

Aaditya and his father, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, have flatly denied any link to Disha’s death, with Aaditya alleging that there has been a concerted effort to malign him.

The case rocked both houses of the state legislature on Thursday, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena taking an aggressive stand and demanding that Aaditya be arrested. While chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the state home department, was silent on the issue throughout the day, minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam stated in the legislative assembly that the government would follow the directives of the court and “nobody would be spared, regardless of their position”.

After Disha Salian, 28, fell to her death, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) was registered at the Malvani police station. The police had closed the investigation as no evidence of foul play was found. However, after BJP leaders persistently linked Aaditya to the case, Devendra Fadnavis, then home minister in the previous Mahayuti government, set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in December 2022, to review the evidence. The SIT is yet to submit its report.

The case has now been resurrected, fuelled by serious allegations. On Thursday, BJP MLA Ameet Satam raised the issue in the assembly, saying that Disha’s father had claimed his daughter was gang-raped and murdered, and the then dispensation had pressured him to stay silent. “He was threatened to not speak to the media, post on social media, and speak about the death of his daughter. The then mayor, Kishori Pednekar, met the parents and pressured them to not speak up. The parents were also pressured to not press for a probe.”

Satam further alleged, “The father has also said that a former minister from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was responsible for the death. The state government had constituted an SIT in 2022, but nothing has come of it. The government should inform us about the findings and what action has been taken.”

Fisheries and ports minister Nitesh Rane demanded that the alleged accused be arrested immediately, while tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai supported the demand, saying that everyone should be treated equally.

Minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam said, “The SIT probe is underway. We have learnt about the PIL and we will take cognisance when it comes to the government. Nobody will be spared if found guilty.”

The case also stalled proceedings in the legislative council on Thursday. The house was adjourned three times as members of the ruling and opposition parties engaged in bitter verbal clashes on the issue. Mahayuti legislators Manisha Kayande, Pravin Darekar and Chitra Wagh demanded a fresh inquiry into Disha’s death, while leader of the opposition Ambadas Danve (Sena-UBT) said Aaditya Thackeray was in no way linked to the case.

Given the seriousness of the allegations against his son, Uddhav Thackeray addressed the media in the Vidhan Bhavan premises on Thursday. “Let them conduct any inquiry. People have known our family for generations. There is no truth to the allegations. Aaditya is not remotely linked to the case.”

Thackeray also issued a veiled threat to the ruling parties, saying the issue would backfire on them. “The ruling alliance is taking politics in the wrong direction. If this continues, everyone could be in trouble. It could also boomerang on them,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Aaditya told the media that there was a move to malign him for the last five years. “The ruling parties do not have anything to say, so they are resorting to this. For the past five years, they have been trying to defame us (Thackerays). Now the matter is in court, so we will respond (to the allegations) there,” he said.