Drama at Matoshree as Salian serves defamation notice on Aaditya

Police presence was beefed up and a large media contingent waited as Disha’s father Satish Salian pulled up along with his legal team led by Nilesh Ojha at 4:00pm, to serve Aaditya the defamation notice

MUMBAI: High-voltage drama unfolded outside the gates of Matoshree, home of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday, with the father of deceased celebrity manager Disha Salian arriving with his lawyers to serve a ₹500-crore defamation notice on Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.

Police presence was beefed up and a large media contingent waited as Disha’s father Satish Salian pulled up along with his legal team led by Nilesh Ojha at 4:00pm, to serve Aaditya the defamation notice. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

The Kalanagar area in Bandra east turned into a virtual fortress on Saturday. Police presence was beefed up and a large media contingent waited as Disha’s father Satish Salian pulled up along with his legal team led by Nilesh Ojha at 4:00pm, to serve Aaditya the defamation notice.

Salian served the notice on Aaditya for alleging a “political motive” in linking the Sena (UBT) leader to his daughter’s death in 2020. Aaditya’s lawyers, Rahul Diwate and Anil Jadhav, accepted the notice at Matoshree’s gates.

Disha had fallen to her death from a highrise in Malad in 2020, with the police ruling out foul play – a conclusion Satish Salian had earlier accepted. Recently, however, Salian sought to reopen the case, alleging that his daughter was sexually assaulted and murdered. He has named Aaditya and other high-profile individuals as being responsible for his daughter’s death, with the Bombay High Court recently ordering the CBI to investigate.

In response to these developments – and Salian’s sudden U-turn – Aaditya alleged that Salian’s actions were part of a “political conspiracy”.

When Salian and his lawyers turned up at the Thackeray residence, Sena (UBT) workers were present in large numbers. Police allowed Salian and his lawyers to enter Kalanagar but the doors of the Thackeray residence remained shut for security reasons.

Sena (UBT) leaders MP Anil Desai and MLC Anil Parab, who is also an advocate, were present with a legal team. Thackeray’s lawyers Rahul Diwate and Anil Jadhav accepted the defamation notice.

“Only God can control me, no one else,” said Salian, refuting allegations that someone else was pulling the strings. His lawyer Nilesh Ojha said they had chosen to serve the notice in person “to show that as per the constitution, everyone has equal rights and no one is above the law”.

“Aaditya Thackeray should tender an apology or face defamation action,” he said.

Meanwhile, Akhil Chitre from the Sena (UBT) shared a document on socia media allegedly submitted by Salian in legal proceedings in January 2024, which apparently said that BJP leader Narayan Rane and his son, then BJP MLA NItesh Rane, were eyewitnesses to Disha Salian’s alleged rape and murder. He asked why father and son did not do anything to intervene when the crime was being committed.

Chitre’s social media post said, “As per documents submitted by Salian’s lawyers, Exhibit ‘A’, dated January 12, 2024, page 233, point number 2 states: ‘Regarding the allegations that the death of Ms Disha Salian was not natural, but that she was subjected to gang rape and subsequently murdered, eyewitnesses Hon Union Minister Narayan Rane, Hon MLA Shri Nitesh Rane and several other persons have made such allegations’.”

When the media demanded an explanation, Ojha said, “In our complaint before the CBI in the Disha Salian rape and murder case, we have not mentioned Naryan Rane and Nitesh Rane as eyewitnesses,” he said.

In another development, Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat said it was not appropriate for Salian to turn up at Matoshree to serve the defamation notice. “I don’t think it is proper to go to the home of someone you accuse of a crime to hand over a notice,” said Shirsat.

Shirsat had crossed over to the Eknath Shinde-led Sena from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), and his remarks underline differences in the ruling parties in light of the BJP leaders’ attacks on Aaditya Thackeray.

Commenting on statements made by BJP leaders, Shirsat said, “It is up to BJP state president Ravindra Chavan to direct his party leader to maintain protocol in a matter that is sub-judice. The matter is in court; let the CBI and court do their work. We should exercise restraint.”