Satish Salian, father of the late celebrity manager Disha Salian, sent a Rs 500-crore defamation notice to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Thursday. The legal action comes in response to the statements made by the two politicians regarding his fight for justice in his daughter’s death case. Satish Salian claimed these leaders portrayed his efforts as politically motivated. He stated that their remarks questioned his intentions and destroyed his credibility.

The legal notice accused Aaditya Thackeray of describing Satish Salian’s efforts as “politically motivated, malicious, and actuated by an ulterior object" of harming his reputation. The notice stated, “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, 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."

Additionally, the notice alleged that Thackeray falsely claimed the Central Bureau of Investigation examined the case and gave him a clean chit. Thackeray also allegedly claimed Satish Salian acted as a tool to harass him, a statement backed by Deshmukh. Deshmukh described the case on March 23, 2025, as a “conspiracy to defame Aaditya Thackeray." Satish Salian noted that these widely publicised comments damaged his reputation by depicting him as a dishonest litigant misusing the justice system.

Satish Salian demanded Rs 500 crore in damages along with an unconditional, unequivocal, and unqualified written and public apology from both leaders. He demanded the publication and broadcast of this apology across major print, television, and digital platforms. Furthermore, he demanded a three-minute video apology uploaded to the official social media accounts of Thackeray and Deshmukh.

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a high-rise building in Malad, Mumbai. Police initially registered an Accidental Death Report. Her death occurred shortly before the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Satish Salian later approached the Bombay High Court seeking a fresh probe and an FIR alleging gang rape and murder. His petition named Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, and Sooraj Pancholi.

The CBI recently registered an FIR invoking charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. Officials named Aaditya Thackeray, actors Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty, and post-mortem medical staff as people whose roles require investigation.

Aaditya Thackeray denied any connection to Disha Salian. In a post on X, he stated, “I have never met Disha Salian, nor did I have any acquaintance with her." He added, “Linking my name to this tragic case constantly is a deliberate, evidence-free attempt at character assassination by a few individuals with clear political and personal motives, for almost 6 years." He called for the probe to continue, stating, “Let the official re-investigation proceed without malicious distractions and character assassination for political motives."