Aaditya Thackeray Moves Bombay High Court to Join Disha Salian Case, Calls Petition Politically Motivated

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking permission to intervene in a petition filed by Satish Salian, father of late celebrity manager Disha Salian, who has sought an FIR against Thackeray in connection with his daughter’s death.

In an intervention application filed this week, Thackeray argues that though he has not been named as a respondent in the case, the allegations made in the plea are “false, frivolous, and politically motivated,” and that any court orders passed in the matter could adversely affect his reputation and political career.

The petition by Satish Salian, originally filed earlier this year, calls for a fresh investigation into what it claims were the “brutal rape and murder” of Disha Salian on June 8, 2020. The plea alleges a politically motivated cover-up involving powerful individuals and demands that an FIR be lodged against unnamed parties, which many speculate includes Thackeray.

Responding to these claims, Thackeray’s application emphasizes that the matter has already undergone extensive investigation by multiple agencies, including the Mumbai Police, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and more recently, a state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). The application also points out that the Supreme Court had earlier considered the issue and allowed the CBI to take charge of the investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died just days after Salian.

Thackeray, in his plea, states that he belongs to a reputed family and has consistently faced targeted campaigns aimed at tarnishing his image. The application asserts that the current petition is “a tool for settling political scores” and not a genuine attempt to seek justice.

During Wednesday’s hearing, a bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Rajesh Patil raised concerns over the state government’s response, questioning why a reply affidavit was submitted by a senior police inspector rather than the Chief Secretary, as previously directed by the court.

Disha Salian died after reportedly falling from the 14th floor of a building in Malad, Mumbai, under circumstances initially labelled as suicide. The case has since spiraled into one of the most politically sensitive matters in Maharashtra, with conspiracy theories and allegations continuing to fuel public discourse.