Aaditya Thackeray Refutes Any Connection to Disha Salian’s Death

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to set the record straight. He said, quite plainly, “I have never met or known Disha Salian.” The statement came just two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR that named him, along with his father Uddhav Thackeray, in connection with the tragic death of the actress’s former manager.

Thackeray didn’t stop there. He went on to describe the whole episode as “a deliberate, evidence‑free attempt to character assassinate me,” suggesting that a handful of individuals were pulling strings for “clear political and personal motives.” The tone was unmistakably defensive, almost as if he were pushing back against a narrative that had been building for nearly six years.

For context, Disha Salian’s death in 2020 was originally ruled a suicide by the Mumbai police after she fell from a building. Her father, Satish Salian, never bought that conclusion. He filed a petition that eventually reached the Bombay High Court, demanding a fresh look into the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s demise.

The court obliged. In September 2022, it ordered the CBI to reopen the case, citing “apparent lapses” in the earlier police investigation. The bureau complied, filing a new FIR in early September 2026 that alleged murder and criminal conspiracy, and named several prominent figures – among them the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, MLA Aaditya Thackeray, and a few others.

Thackeray’s reaction on social media was a mix of frustration and a call for calm. “Let the official re‑investigation proceed without malicious distractions and character assassination for political motives,” he wrote, urging the public and the media to let the investigative machinery do its job without interference.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the case has been revisited. In 2023, following a directive from the state government, the police conducted another probe under Section 174 of the CrPC. Their report, submitted on April 14, 2026, again concluded suicide. The Special Executive Magistrate accepted that finding on May 6, 2026. Yet, the court’s order for a fresh CBI probe shows that doubts remain, at least in the eyes of the Salian family.

The broader political backdrop can’t be ignored. Shiv Sena (UBT) has been a key player in Maharashtra’s coalition politics, and the Thackerays have long been in the crosshairs of opposition parties. Accusations like these, especially when they involve a high‑profile case that captured national attention, tend to stir the pot.

Whether the new CBI investigation will unearth anything substantive remains to be seen. For now, Aaditya Thackeray’s message is clear: he denies any personal connection to Disha Salian, and he wants the probe to run its course without what he perceives as politically motivated drama.

As the legal wheels keep turning, the public will be watching both the courtroom and the streets of Mumbai, waiting for answers that have been elusive for more than half a decade.