Rs 500 crore damage notice to Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray in Disha Salian Murder case

Satish Salian has sought Rs 500 crore in damages from Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Deshmukh, accusing them of portraying his legal fight for his daughter as politically motivated.

Updated : Sep 17, 2026, 11:53 AM IST | Edited by : Manisha Chauhan

Satish Salian, father of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager Disha Salian, has sent a Rs 500 crore legal notice to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh.

The notice alleges that the two leaders questioned Satish Salian’s motives and attempted to portray his efforts to seek a fresh investigation into his daughter’s death as politically motivated. The notice comes days after the CBI registered an FIR in the 2020 death case, naming Aaditya Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rhea Chakraborty, among others, as people whose roles require investigation.

Disha Salian, 28, died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area. Mumbai Police initially registered an Accidental Death Report and treated the incident as an accidental death.

Sushant Singh Rajput died six days later. Satish Salian initially said he did not suspect a criminal angle but later approached the Bombay High Court seeking an FIR and a fresh investigation into his daughter’s death. His petition raised allegations of rape and murder and named several people, including Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi.

The Bombay High Court subsequently directed the CBI to take over the investigation and register an FIR. The court also said that no person should be treated as an accused unless sufficient material emerges during the probe.

Notice accuses Thackeray of questioning father’s motives

The legal notice alleges that Aaditya Thackeray tried to portray Satish Salian’s pursuit of justice as “politically motivated, malicious, and actuated by an ulterior object”.

“The aforesaid allegations are false, baseless, reckless and grossly defamatory, having been made without any credible material or proof and solely with a view to further your ulterior and improper motives. The said allegations amount to a direct and serious imputation upon the integrity, credibility, honesty and bona fides of my client (Satish Salian), by portraying a bereaved father, who was merely seeking a lawful investigation into the alleged gang rape and murder of his daughter, as a person abusing the judicial process for an improper, malicious and politically motivated purpose,” the notice reads.

The notice further accuses Thackeray of claiming that the CBI had already investigated the matter and given him a “clean chit”. It also refers to an alleged statement that Satish Salian was being “used as a tool to harass” Thackeray.

The notice also refers to a statement allegedly made by Anil Deshmukh on March 23, 2025, in which he described the Disha Salian case as a “conspiracy to defame Aaditya Thackeray”. According to the notice, the statement received widespread publicity and allegedly portrayed Satish Salian as a politically motivated litigant misusing the criminal justice system.

The legal notice seeks Rs 500 crore in damages from the two leaders over the alleged statements.

Apart from monetary damages, Satish Salian has demanded an “unconditional, unequivocal and unqualified written and public apology”.

The notice seeks publication of the apology across major print, television and digital media platforms. It also demands that a video apology of at least three minutes be posted on the official social media accounts of both leaders.

Aaditya Thackeray denies knowing Disha

Aaditya Thackeray has denied any connection with Disha Salian. Responding after being named in the CBI FIR, he said on X, “I have never met Disha Salian, nor did I have any acquaintance with her.”

He also alleged that repeatedly linking his name to the case was an “evidence-free attempt at character assassination” driven by political and personal motives. “Let the official re-investigation proceed without malicious distractions and character assassination for political motives,” he added.

The CBI registered the FIR on September 14 after the Bombay High Court directed the agency to investigate Disha Salian’s death.

The FIR includes provisions relating to murder and criminal conspiracy, among others. Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rhea Chakraborty are among those named in the FIR as people whose roles require investigation. Being named in the FIR does not by itself establish guilt, and the investigation is ongoing.

A separate development in the investigation has also brought attention to an unidentified woman who, according to a police constable’s statement, was among three people who took Disha to Shatabdi Hospital after her fall.