Never met or knew Disha Salian: Aaditya Thackeray responds after name in FIR

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has denied ever meeting or knowing Disha Salian, calling repeated attempts to link him to her death an “evidence-free” smear campaign, days after his name appeared in a CBI FIR registered as part of a fresh investigation into the case.

“Let’s cut through the noise and talk facts, once again: I have never met or known Disha Salian,” Thackeray said in a post on X on Wednesday.

He accused some people of trying to damage his reputation for “political and personal motives” and said the campaign had continued for almost six years.

“The relentless smear campaign run by vested interests without a single shred of evidence and truth is highly unfortunate. Loud TV debates and media trials do not change the facts,” he said.

Thackeray called for the official re-investigation to continue without what he described as “malicious distractions and character assassination for political motives”. WHAT THE CBI FIR SAYS

The CBI recently registered an FIR in connection with the death of Salian, who was found dead after falling from a building in Mumbai on June 8, 2020. She had worked as a manager for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died days later on June 14, 2020.

The FIR names Thackeray, his father and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, actors Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty among those whose roles require investigation, according to reports on the FIR. It also refers to several police officers, forensic personnel, doctors and others.

The FIR says the roles of the people named require investigation in connection with the alleged principal offences, criminal conspiracy, the alleged creation and propagation of a false suicide narrative and the alleged suppression, destruction or fabrication of evidence.

Importantly, the names appearing in the FIR do not mean those people have been established as accused at this stage. A report quoting a CBI official said no accused had been named and that names would be included if involvement is established during the investigation.WHY THE CASE WAS REOPENED

The CBI probe follows a Bombay High Court order directing a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death.

The court had criticised the Mumbai Police investigation, saying it raised “more questions than answers”, and pointed to discrepancies in the handling of the case. The court also directed the CBI to register an FIR and investigate all aspects surrounding the circumstances in which Salian died.

Salian’s death had earlier been recorded as an Accidental Death Report. Her father, Satish Salian, subsequently approached the court seeking a deeper investigation into his daughter’s death. The High Court also raised concerns over the fact that her family had not received copies of the post-mortem report and ADR even years after her death.‘THE CHOICE TO STAND BY TRUTH IS OURS’

In his latest response, Aaditya Thackeray said attempts to use the case against him would not change his position.

“Once again, for those few, thinking that such malicious attempts being used politically, will hold us back from fighting for the truth, and for fellow citizens, is a failed strategy,” he said.

“We always will, stand by the truth, and fight for it.”

His comments come as the CBI begins examining the allegations and material surrounding Salian’s death, including the concerns raised by her family and the gaps identified by the Bombay High Court.SALIAN’S FATHER HAD NAMED PEOPLE FOR PROBE

Following the High Court's direction, Salian’s father said he had shared details of the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death with investigators and given them names of people he wanted examined.

Speaking to ANI, Satish said, “I stated the facts exactly as they were; I told them everything that happened to my daughter. I listed all the names: Aditya, Sooraj Pancholi, Dino Morea, and the bodyguards. They noted everything down.”

He said investigators had told him they would take action based on the information he provided.

“The truth cannot be defeated. God stands where the truth is; that is why justice will be served,” he said.SUSHANT SINGH'S SISTER WELCOMES CBI PROBE

The fresh investigation has also drawn a reaction from Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister Shweta Singh Kirti.

In a video shared on social media, Shweta welcomed the CBI inquiry and expressed hope that it would help establish the truth surrounding Salian’s death.

“Truth has its own power it can be suppressed for some time, troubled, but it cannot be defeated,” she said.

Salian’s death has remained a subject of public and political debate, particularly because it occurred shortly before Rajput’s death. The CBI investigation will now examine the circumstances surrounding her death and the allegations and concerns raised during the proceedings.- EndsWith inputs from agenciesPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 17:52 IST