Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has rejected allegations linking him to the death of Disha Salian, the former manager of Bollywood’s late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. He said he is being targeted and has ‘nothing to do’ with the case. 

In an interaction with Times Now, Thackeray called the allegations politically motivated and alleged that the BJP was rattled by the developments. He also termed the charges against him baseless and denied having any involvement in Salian’s death. 

Thackeray commented on the development almost a day after the Bombay High Court (HC) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe Salian’s death, and rapped the Mumbai Police for failing to register a First Information Report (FIR) even six years after her death. 

HC questions police probe spanning 6 years

A division bench of the HC, comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsle noted that the police probe had raised more questions than answers, and said a CBI probe was the need of the hour for a fair and substantive investigation.

The court’s 44-page-long judgment mentioned that the probe had continued for six years, underlining that a probe could not be allowed to continue for an inordinately long period. 

It then slammed the Mumbai Police for treating Salian’s death as an accidental death for six years and pointed to what it called ‘glaring discrepancies’ in the investigation. Thereafter, the HC directed the CBI to register an FIR and record the statement of Satish Salian, Disha’s father. However, it clarified that no person shall be deemed an accused unless sufficient evidence emerged against them during the probe.

Details of the Disha Salian case

Salian, who had briefly worked as Sushant Singh Rajput’s manager, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 12th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. The Mumbai Police subsequently registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence six days later, on June 14, 2020. The proximity of the two deaths led to speculation about a possible connection between them.

Following the controversy surrounding Rajput’s death, the Maharashtra government ordered a CBI investigation. The agency later submitted a closure report concluding that Rajput had died by suicide. The report, however, is yet to be considered by the court concerned.

Father seeks FIR against Thackeray

Following the high court’s order, Satish Salian sought an FIR against Aaditya Thackeray. The court, however, refrained from making any observations against any individual and left it to the CBI to conduct the investigation.

Thackeray has consistently denied the allegations. The CBI probe is now expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death and determine whether the available evidence warrants further criminal investigation.