Aaditya Thackeray denies link to Disha Salian death case

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has denied any connection with the 2020 death of Disha Salian, days after the CBI named him in its FIR. In a post on X, he said he had never met or known Salian and alleged that repeatedly linking his name was a deliberate, evidence-free attempt at character assassination driven by political and personal motives. The CBI registered the FIR on Monday under murder and conspiracy provisions on Bombay High Court orders.

Written by AI from Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Thackeray) · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 17 Sept 2026, 6:58 am IST

Source

Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Thackeray) · read the original report ↗

#disha salian#cbi#aaditya thackeray#bombay high court#fir

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

Aaditya Thackeray says he never met or knew Disha Salian and calls the linkage an evidence-free character assassination attempt. — Directly attributed to his post on X, quoted in the source; he named no individuals.
CBI registered an FIR on Monday under murder and criminal conspiracy provisions following a Bombay High Court order. — Attributed to the FIR and court order in the source; no case number or official CBI statement cited.
Satish Salian alleged that Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and others played a significant role in an alleged conspiracy and cover-up. — Attributed to the FIR as the father's allegation; source notes those named have denied any role.
Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020 after falling from the 14th floor of a Malad building; police concluded suicide after an ADR inquiry. — Date, location and police conclusion appear in the source; attributed to Mumbai Police inquiry.
Bombay High Court flagged 'glaring discrepancies' and criticised police for not registering an FIR for six years. — Attributed to court observations as described in the source; full order text not quoted.

Written by AI from Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Thackeray) · not yet reviewed by an editor · How we use AI · Report an error

Analysts’ view opinion

AI Political Analyst

A case that has simmered in Maharashtra's politics since 2020 has now moved into an official phase with a CBI FIR, and that is politically uncomfortable territory for the Shiv Sena (UBT). Aaditya Thackeray's denial is not only a legal response — it is an attempt to frame the allegations as politically motivated character assassination before they are ever tested. The crucial distinction is that an FIR marks the start of an investigation, not a finding of guilt — but that nuance tends to get flattened in political messaging.

Because the complainant's allegations name both Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray, the matter shifts from an individual problem to one touching the UBT's top leadership.
Since the investigation follows a Bombay High Court order, it is harder for the UBT to dismiss it purely as vendetta by the Centre or rivals.
At the same time, the court's remark that no FIR was registered for six years raises questions about policing during that period and hands opponents a political line.
Aaditya's reference to unnamed 'political and personal motives' is a careful strategy — it preserves a victim-of-targeting position without picking a specific fight.
The presence of film-industry names in the FIR guarantees heavy media attention, which risks pushing the debate towards emotion rather than evidence.

What to watch — Watch the direction the CBI probe takes and whether anyone named is called for questioning, and whether UBT leaders close ranks around a unified 'we are being targeted' narrative.

Being named in an FIR is not proof of wrongdoing; this story establishes none of the allegations, nor what evidence, if any, exists against Aaditya Thackeray.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 7 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020 after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area; Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence days later. Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and concluded she died by suicide, but her father Satish Salian alleged she was gang-raped and murdered and moved the Bombay High Court over investigative lapses. On the High Court's order, the CBI registered an FIR under murder and criminal conspiracy provisions naming several people, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, who has now publicly denied any connection with the case.

Key facts

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020 after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area.
Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report and, after inquiry, concluded she died by suicide.
The CBI registered an FIR on Monday under provisions relating to murder and criminal conspiracy, among other sections, following a Bombay High Court order.
The FIR records Satish Salian's allegation that several people, including former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray, played a significant role in an alleged conspiracy and cover-up.
The FIR also names actors Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rhea Chakraborty, along with doctors and staff associated with the delayed post-mortem.
Aaditya Thackeray said in a post on X: 'I have never met Disha Salian, nor did I have any acquaintance with her,' calling the linkage a 'deliberate, evidence-free attempt at character assassination'.
The Bombay High Court criticised the police for not registering an FIR for six years, saying the investigation 'raises more questions than answers' and pointing to 'glaring discrepancies'.
The court noted the family had not received copies of the post-mortem report and the ADR even six years after her death.

Timeline

June 8, 2020Disha Salian dies after falling from the 14th floor of a building in Malad, Mumbai; declared dead at Shatabdi Hospital.
Days after June 8, 2020Sushant Singh Rajput found dead at his Bandra residence.
After the ADR inquiry (2020)Mumbai Police conclude Disha Salian died by suicide.
SubsequentlyFather Satish Salian petitions the Bombay High Court alleging gang rape, murder and lapses in the Mumbai Police probe.
Before the FIRBombay High Court flags 'glaring discrepancies', criticises six-year delay in registering an FIR; CBI seeks all Mumbai Police records.
Monday (per source)CBI registers FIR under murder and criminal conspiracy provisions; Satish Salian records his statement before the CBI.
September 16, 2026 (post date)Aaditya Thackeray denies on X ever meeting or knowing Disha Salian.

Who has a stake

Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader — Named in the CBI FIR; denies any acquaintance with Salian and alleges politically motivated character assassination.
Uddhav Thackeray, former Maharashtra Chief Minister — Alleged in the FIR by Satish Salian to have played a role in the alleged conspiracy and cover-up; those named have denied any role.
Satish Salian, Disha Salian's father — Petitioner who alleged gang rape, murder and police lapses; has recorded his statement before the CBI.
Central Bureau of Investigation — Must conduct the court-ordered re-investigation into a six-year-old death and examine roles of all those named.
Mumbai Police — Criticised by the High Court for not registering an FIR for six years and for discrepancies in the inquiry.
Bombay High Court — Ordered the FIR and oversight; flagged non-supply of post-mortem report and ADR to the family.
Actors Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty and doctors/staff linked to the delayed post-mortem — Named in the FIR as persons whose roles require investigation; have denied any role.

Why it matters

A court-ordered CBI FIR six years after a death that police had closed as suicide raises questions about the quality of the original inquiry and about victims' families' access to basic records like post-mortem and ADR copies. Because the FIR names senior political figures and film personalities, the case also tests whether a high-profile re-investigation can proceed on evidence rather than political contestation.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020 in Malad, Mumbai.
Accidental Death Report (ADR) is the entry police register in unnatural death cases; Mumbai Police filed one and concluded suicide.
CBI registered the FIR on Bombay High Court orders under murder and criminal conspiracy provisions.
FIR names, among others, Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi and Rhea Chakraborty; all named have denied involvement.
Bombay High Court said the investigation 'raises more questions than answers' and cited 'glaring discrepancies'.
A constable's statement said Salian was brought to Shatabdi Hospital by 'two boys and a girl'; her fiancé Rohan Rai named friends Himanshu Shikhare and Indraneel Vaidya.

Mains framing

The Disha Salian case illustrates how procedural failures in the earliest stage of an unnatural death inquiry can corrode public confidence for years. Mumbai Police treated the June 2020 death as an accidental death, concluded suicide after inquiry, and registered no FIR for six years; the Bombay High Court found the probe raised 'more questions than answers', identified 'glaring discrepancies', and noted that the family was never given copies of the post-mortem report or the ADR, prompting a CBI FIR under murder and criminal conspiracy provisions. The consequences are twofold: the family's right to information and effective investigation was denied, and the delay allowed the case to be absorbed into political contestation, with Aaditya Thackeray alleging evidence-free character assassination while the complainant alleges a cover-up involving political figures. The way forward, on the material available, lies in timely and transparent statutory compliance in custody of forensic records, prompt supply of post-mortem and ADR copies to next of kin, judicially supervised re-investigation insulated from political pressure, and a firm distinction between naming persons for investigation and presuming guilt.

Key terms

Accidental Death Report (ADR): The record police register in cases of unnatural or accidental death; Mumbai Police filed one in Salian's case instead of an FIR.
FIR (First Information Report): The first formal police record of a cognisable offence; the CBI registered one here under murder and conspiracy provisions.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): Central investigating agency, here directed by the Bombay High Court to re-investigate Disha Salian's death.
Criminal conspiracy: Offence of agreeing with others to commit an illegal act; invoked in the CBI FIR alongside murder provisions.
Post-mortem report: Medical autopsy findings on cause of death; the High Court noted the family had not received a copy even after six years.
Shatabdi Hospital: The Mumbai hospital where Disha Salian was declared dead; a constable on duty there gave a statement about who brought her in.

Practice questions

Delayed registration of an FIR in unnatural death cases can defeat the ends of justice. Examine with reference to the Bombay High Court's observations in the Disha Salian case.
Discuss the rights of a victim's family to investigative records such as the post-mortem report and Accidental Death Report, and the remedies available when these are denied.
Court-monitored transfer of investigation to central agencies is an exception, not the rule. Critically analyse in the light of the CBI FIR ordered in the Disha Salian case.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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