Uddhav Thackeray warns legal action over Disha Salian case allegations

Uddhav Thackeray denied any link between his family and the Disha Salian case. He said repeated allegations were politically motivated and could invite legal action.

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday that he would take legal action if the "character assassination" campaign against his family over the 2020 Disha Salian death case did not stop. He said neither he nor his son Aaditya Thackeray had any connection with the case.

Thackeray spoke days after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into Salian's death on a petition filed by her father. The central agency later registered a case without naming any accused. Thackeray said the allegations were politically motivated and warned that there was a limit to how long such claims could be tolerated.

Replying to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the former Maharashtra chief minister said, "We have no connection with this case. Aaditya has also said so. This issue is not merely about me. Such character assassination can take place with you people too." He added, "If such allegations are made continuously, how long one should tolerate it? I am wondering why the names of Modi and Trump are absent in this case," in a sarcastic remark. Thackeray also said Salian's death was an unfortunate incident, but his family had no connection with it.

He said, "It is politically motivated. We were quiet because an SIT (Special Investigation Team) was probing the case. Those who want to investigate, they can keep investigating. But enough of this pointless character assassination, or else we will initiate legal steps." On Wednesday, Aaditya Thackeray, an MLA, said he had never met Disha Salian. In a post on X, he said, "I have never met or known Disha Salian. Linking my name to this tragic case is a deliberate, evidence-free attempt of character assassination by a few individuals with clear political and personal motives, for almost six years."

Salian, 28, a former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 12th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area. Police had said 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 and pulled up the Mumbai Police for not registering an FIR for six years, saying its investigation raised more questions than answers.