The death of Disha Salian has returned to the headlines following two major developments: a renewed CBI investigation and a Rs 500 crore legal notice issued against Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Deshmukh.
Satish Salian, Disha’s father, is seeking Rs 500 crore in damages, alleging that statements by the two politicians portrayed his campaign for justice as politically motivated. The notice also seeks public apologies and retraction of the statements in question.
Understanding the development requires looking back at the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death.
Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from a building in Mumbai’s Malad area. She was 28 years old. Police initially treated the death as accidental and registered an Accidental Death Report.
Six days later, Sushant Singh Rajput died. Salian had worked as his manager, and the close timing of the two deaths generated significant public attention. Over the years, numerous claims were made publicly concerning whether the two incidents were connected.
The latest investigation focuses specifically on the circumstances surrounding Salian’s death. Her father had approached the Bombay High Court seeking a fresh probe, raising allegations and asking for the roles of various individuals to be examined.
The Bombay High Court subsequently directed a thorough investigation, after which the CBI registered an FIR in September 2026. The FIR reportedly names several individuals whose roles require investigation.
The new legal notice comes against this backdrop.
According to reports, Satish Salian’s notice objects to statements that allegedly described his efforts as politically motivated or intended to damage Aaditya Thackeray. The notice reportedly says these statements affected the father’s integrity and credibility while he was pursuing a legal investigation into his daughter’s death.
Anil Deshmukh is also named in the notice. Reports say he had previously characterized the Disha Salian matter as a conspiracy to defame Thackeray.
The legal notice reportedly seeks an unconditional and public apology. It also demands that the apology be published across various media platforms and on the politicians’ social-media accounts.
Aaditya Thackeray has rejected the connection alleged against him. On September 16, he publicly stated that he had never met or known Disha Salian.
He further said that his name had been repeatedly connected with the case for political and personal reasons and argued that there was no evidence linking him to the incident. He called for the CBI investigation to proceed without interference.
The latest developments must be understood carefully because several different legal issues are unfolding at the same time.
First, there is the original investigation into Salian’s death. Second, there is the new CBI probe. Third, there is the legal notice seeking damages for alleged defamatory statements.
None of these developments alone establishes criminal guilt. A CBI FIR is an investigative document, while a legal notice represents the position and demands of the person issuing it. Any eventual findings would have to emerge through investigation and judicial proceedings.
The Rs 500 crore figure therefore should not be interpreted as an amount already imposed by a court. It is the compensation demanded by Satish Salian.
With the CBI investigation now underway, authorities are expected to examine evidence and statements relevant to the circumstances of Disha Salian’s death. At the same time, the legal dispute between her father and the two politicians could proceed independently.
The case is consequently entering a new legal phase, with both the investigation and the defamation dispute likely to receive attention in the coming weeks.
