The legal battle surrounding the death of Disha Salian has intensified after her father, Satish Salian, sent a Rs 500-crore Defamation notice to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh.
The notice comes days after the CBI registered an FIR in the case, naming Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rhea Chakraborty, among others, as people whose roles require investigation.
Satish Salian has alleged that statements made by Thackeray and Deshmukh attempted to discredit his efforts to seek a fresh investigation into his daughter’s death by portraying them as politically motivated.
The notice states, "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."
Why Has Satish Salian Sent The Notice?
The legal notice follows statements concerning Satish Salian’s pursuit of an investigation into his daughter’s death. It comes shortly after Aaditya Thackeray denied any personal connection with Disha Salian and rejected attempts to link him to the case.
Thackeray, in a post on X on Wednesday, said he had "never met Disha Salian" and had no acquaintance with her. He alleged that his name had repeatedly been linked to the case for the past six years for "political motives" and out of "personal enmity".
"I have never met Disha Salian, nor did I have any acquaintance with her. For political motives, out of personal enmity, with the intent of character assassination, for the past 6 years, some people have been deliberately trying to link my name to this unfortunate incident repeatedly, despite there being no evidence or connection whatsoever."
Calling the allegations a "false campaign", Thackeray added, "This constant false campaign, devoid of any facts or truth, is unfortunate. The false discussions on TV channels and media trials carried out through empty bluster cannot alter the truth. Allow the official machinery to conduct this inquiry afresh, without any interference, without political intervention, without character assassination, and impartially."
Deshmukh allegedly backed this claim. The notice refers to a statement attributed to Deshmukh on March 23, 2025, in which he described the Disha Salian case as a "conspiracy to defame Aaditya Thackeray".
Satish Salian’s notice alleges that the statement received "widespread publicity" and harmed his reputation by presenting him as a "dishonest, politically motivated and malicious litigant misusing the criminal justice system".
What Does Satish Salian Want?
Along with Rs 500 crore in damages, the notice demands an "unconditional, unequivocal and unqualified written and public apology".
It seeks publication and broadcast of the apology across major print, television and digital platforms. The notice further demands a video apology of at least three minutes on the official social media accounts of both leaders. As per the notice, the leaders are given seven days to comply.