BJP, Sena clash in Maharashtra assembly over Disha Salian case

Chaitanya Marpakwar & Clara Lewis (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 21, 2025)

Mumbai: Maharashtra's junior home minister Yogesh Kadam told the legislative assembly Thursday that the SIT probe into Disha Salian's death would be fast-tracked and "no one will be spared". Salian, former manager of deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020.

The statement was made as BJP and Shiv Sena MLAs sought to know when the SIT would conclude its probe. Their demand came a day after Disha's father prepared a petition to be filed in Bombay HC asking for a fresh probe into her death and "custodial interrogation" of Aaditya Thackeray in the case.

Uproar in both Houses over Disha death
The legislative assembly was adjourned for ten minutes Thursday after BJP and Shiv Sena MLAs demanded a thorough probe into the Disha Salian death case and asked when the SIT, formed in Dec 2022 to probe the matter, would conclude its investigation and submit its report.

Minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam said the SIT probe was ongoing and its report had not been submitted yet. “Disha Salian’s father has filed a petition in HC, the state govt has also been made party to it. So once we get directions from the HC, we will take stern and appropriate action. The law is the same for all, we will not spare anyone,” he said.

The issue was raised by BJP MLA Ameet Satam through a point of information and backed by Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar and Sena minister Shambhuraje Desai.

The legislative council was also adjourned three times, with the Salian issue raised by Sena MLC Manisha Kayande leading to the second adjournment. The opposition accused chairman Ram Shinde of bias, and Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab reacted strongly. Satam said, “There is big suspicion about this case.

Even after 2 years, the SIT has not given any conclusion. Now Disha’s father has alleged Disha was gang-raped and murdered. He has said the MVA govt tried to bury the case. The then mayor of Mumbai met the family and misled them and asked them to avoid talking about the case.

They were asked not to seek any probe and pressure was put on them. They are now sure... a minister in the then govt is responsible and incident happened because of that minister. This is very serious. Just because someone is powerful and born with a silver spoon… this is very unfortunate.” He further said, “By when will the SIT report and conclusion be put before the public? Will those named by Satish Salian, including the then minister and mayor, be interrogated in custody?”

In the council, after Sena’s Kayande raised the issue, BJP group leader Pravin Darekar said Disha’s father’s petition mentioned “gang-rape, pressure exerted by former mayor Kishori Pednekar on the Salians not to pursue the matter, minister Nitesh Rane’s accusations being true, and it mentioned Aaditya Thackeray and (actor) Dino Morea.” Darekar demanded the inquiry be handed over to the CBI. BJP’s Chitra Wagh demanded the SIT report be made public.
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Bid to defame me, says Aaditya Thackeray, Uddhav backs him

Chaitanya Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 21, 2025)

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and party chief Uddhav Thackeray hit back at the Mahayuti over allegations in the Disha Salian death case on Thursday, with Aaditya saying there were continuous attempts to defame him and tarnish his reputation for the last five years and that he would respond to questions in court.

Uddhav Thackeray said every time the legislature session begins, the Salian issue is brought up. Uddhav said Aaditya had "no connection" with the case at all, but if politics were to be taken in the wrong direction, everyone would be hurt. He also said that if BJP was "building things on lies, it would backfire on them."

"How did this issue not come up in the last 2-3 sessions? I was surprised by this. Every time this issue is brought up, there is nothing new in it. Farmers' pyres are burning; who is responsible for it? Farmers' mothers and sisters are suffering. Many were killed, like in the (sarpanch) Santosh Deshmukh case.
Their children are demanding justice. What is the govt's position on this? Whatever Disha Salian's lawyer says, he should tell it in court. Many generations of our family are before the public," Uddhav said.

Aaditya said what was important was that UBT Sena and MVA had exposed the govt in the budget session of the state legislature. "I have been talking about real issues for the past five years; I will only talk about real issues... Not only us, the RSS has also exposed the govt. They have also said the Aurangzeb issue is not relevant. So will BJP netas now demand action against them?" he asked.

Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that Disha's father was under pressure now to reopen the case. He said parents whose daughter has passed away do not remain silent for five years and added this was an attempt to defame the Thackeray family.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar also attacked the BJP, accusing it of politicizing actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death for elections and claimed that the party would do politics over Disha Salian after her father sought a probe into her death.

Aaditya said if the ruling party wants to adjourn proceedings of the House on the Salian issue, they could do so. "BJP has not included any of the ten promises in its manifesto in the budget. We exposed them on Aurangzeb, on Hindutva. One minister even had to resign. After all this, why should the House be shut down? They are doing it in my name. Let the House be closed. But people are asking the question: you are an MLA from the ruling party. We have elected you to work. Talk about Maharashtra. Discuss real issues," he said.
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Files petition in HC, claiming police, hospital authorities were involved in cover-up, suppressed forensic evidence
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; March 21, 2025)

The father of Disha Salian, actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager who died off a fall from the 14th floor of a Malad building in June 2020, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court alleging a cover-up in the probe into her death.

Salian died on June 8, 2020. Rajput died by suicide on June 14 at his Bandra home. Salian’s father Satish has claimed that the two deaths are related and the police covered-up the involvement of certain high-profile people, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

The petition alleges that Mumbai police suppressed key evidence early in the investigation and hastily closed the case as a suicide without properly considering forensic evidence, eyewitness accounts, and circumstantial proof.

CBI probe demanded
Salian is demanding a CBI probe and custodial interrogation of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, including scientific tests such as brain mapping and lie detector tests. He asserts that former NCB director Sameer Wankhede uncovered evidence linking Rhea Chakraborty with Thackeray. The petition alleges that Aaditya, implicated in drug and child trafficking, was informed of Disha’s intent to expose the network, leading to her murder. It also accuses influential political figures, media entities, and police officials of fabricating a false narrative to protect their interests.

Salian further claims that officers from Malvani police station, along with Disha’s fiancé Rohan Rai and then-Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, pressured him into accepting the official version that dismissed his daughter’s death as an accident. His petition cites various news reports, YouTube discussions, and statements from Union Minister Narayan Rane and Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane, who have described the death as murder and hinted at further evidence.

According to the petition, a party was held at Disha’s Malad apartment on the night of June 8, 2020, attended initially by her fiancé and close friends. The gathering later escalated with the unexpected arrival of high-profile individuals and their bodyguards. The petition alleges that Disha was brutally gang-raped—restrained and violently assaulted—with eyewitness accounts and forensic inconsistencies supporting this claim, despite a rushed cremation that bypassed proper post-mortem analysis.

It further contends that she was murdered to silence her, as the perpetrators feared she would expose their crimes. The petition claims senior police officers and politicians were immediately involved in a cover-up, making calls to suppress evidence, control the media narrative, intimidate eyewitnesses, and close the case without proper investigation. It alleges that her body was moved and staged, with its condition and positioning inconsistent with a natural fall from a high-rise. Eyewitnesses claim that no blood was found at the alleged impact site or on her clothes, contradicting the theory of a fall from the 14th floor. The official case file is also said to contain doctored images falsely depicting the body in a pool of blood.

The petition highlights that mobile location records placing the accused at the scene were ignored, and digital forensic evidence—including phone records and text messages—was allegedly erased or altered to support a false suicide narrative. The police are accused of deliberately delaying the post-mortem for over 50 hours, purportedly to manipulate and destroy evidence of gang rape, resulting in a fabricated report that merely noted head trauma and multiple injuries.

Evidence against suicide
It also asserts that forensic evidence disproves the suicide theory. In genuine high-rise suicides, the impact force would cause heavy bleeding, multiple fractures, and internal damage. However, the petition argues that no such injuries were found on Disha or at the impact site. Even the clothes of those who transported her to the hospital reportedly showed no traces of blood.

“The delay was clearly aimed at destroying crucial forensic evidence, particularly that of sexual assault, to shield the main accused, Aaditya. The investigating officer attempted to justify this delay by citing COVID-19 protocols, but this contradicts how the Mumbai police handled other deaths at the time. For instance, the post-mortem of Sushant Singh Rajput was conducted on the same day of his death, June 14, 2020. Yet, for a female victim with possible evidence of sexual assault, the post-mortem was delayed by more than 50 hours. This clear discrepancy exposes the dishonesty of the investigating officers,” the petition states.

The petition also alleges the involvement of actress Rhea Chakraborty in the conspiracy and calls for her custodial interrogation, including brain mapping, lie detector, and narco-analysis tests. It highlights that Rhea abruptly left Sushant’s residence on June 8, 2020—the same day Disha died—and blocked his number, effectively cutting off communication.

Eyewitnesses claim that after Disha’s death, Sushant was visibly terrified and was reportedly sleeping in his parking area due to distress. He frequently changed his SIM cards, fearing for his life. The petition states that Sushant suspected a powerful group was targeting him and considered holding a press conference to expose the truth.

The petition claims Rhea Chakraborty abruptly left Sushant Singh Rajput’s residence on June 8, 2020—the same day Aaditya Thackeray allegedly visited Disha Salian’s flat. It cites phone records showing Rhea and Aaditya were in touch that day despite their claims of not knowing each other. 

The petition alleges that Disha confided in Sushant about a crime she had witnessed—an elite party involving the sexual assault of a minor. Sushant, shaken, allegedly planned to expose it but was betrayed by Rhea. After Disha’s death, he became paranoid, changed SIM cards frequently, and even avoided sleeping in his bedroom. He reportedly told his staff he feared being killed. 

Citing former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede, the petition claims he found digital evidence linking Aaditya Thackeray and other Bollywood celebrities to alleged murder site. It further alleges Wankhede was “harassed” and politically targeted for exposing high-profile drug links and digital records of Aaditya and Rhea’s interactions.

“I am currently not in the state and was unaware of this. I just found out today that such a petition has been filed. The matter is sub judice, and I will abide by the court’s directions,” Sameer Wankhede told mid-day.

“The petition is in process and has gone to the clerk of the high court. It will be listed soon. We want justice for Disha Salian’s family, and we have also included an investigative article from mid-day that highlights lapses in the forensic examination and delays in submitting samples,” said Adv Nilesh Ojha, representing Salian’s family.