MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said he would initiate legal action if the “character assassination” campaign targeting his family over the 2020 Disha Salian death case did not stop.The former Maharashtra chief minister spoke on the issue days after the Bombay high court ordered a CBI probe into Salian’s death following a petition filed by her father.The central agency subsequently registered a case without naming any accused, news agency PTI reported.“We have no connection with this case. Aaditya (Thackeray) has also said so. This issue is not merely about me. Such character assassination can take place with you people too,” Thackeray said.“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,” he said sarcastically.Thackeray reiterated that Salian’s death was an unfortunate incident and that his family had no connection with it, PTI reported.“It is politically motivated. We were quiet because an SIT 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,” the Sena (UBT) chief said.
Sanjay Raut backs Aaditya
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday backed Aaditya Thackeray and said “people trust the Thackeray family”.The CBI registered an FIR in the 2020 Disha Salian death case, naming no accused, in compliance with Bombay high court directives on a petition filed by her father.Aaditya had claimed on Wednesday that some people were deliberately trying to link his name to the case to tarnish his character for political reasons.Raut said the CBI FIR was an attempt to malign the image of the Thackeray family.“We are ready to fight. He (Aaditya) is not alone in this,” Raut said while responding to questions about Aaditya’s claim that he never knew or met Salian, PTI reported.“People trust the Thackeray family,” Raut added.Raut also hit out at the Rane family, arch-rivals of the Thackerays, and said they should present any evidence related to Salian’s death to the CBI.The Ranes have alleged a link between the Thackerays and the case.
Aaditya denies knowing Salian
On Wednesday, Aaditya Thackeray had claimed that he had never met Disha Salian.“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,” Aaditya said in a post on X.Salian, 28, a former manager of Bollywood 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 claimed that 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 while pulling up the Mumbai Police for failing to register an FIR for six years and observing that its investigation raised more questions than answers.(With agency inputs)
