Raut slams Satish Salian's visit as cheap publicity stunt

On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut let rip at Satish Salian – the grieving father of the late celebrity manager Disha Salian. He described Salian’s recent trip to Aaditya Thackeray’s house, Matoshree, as nothing more than “pure drama” designed to fetch “cheap publicity”.

According to reports, Satish Salian, flanked by a lawyer, walked into the Thackeray residence in Mumbai on Saturday. The purpose? To serve a legal notice over what he claims is defamation against him. Raut, however, was unconvinced. “A man whose daughter died in a tragic accident years ago suddenly shows up, laughing and giggling, is not genuine grief,” he said, casting doubt on the father’s motives.

The MP reminded everyone that the case is already under the scanner of the CBI and the courts. “Let the CBI do its job. The court has already issued directives. Coming to Matoshree for a photo‑op is disgusting,” Raut added, suggesting that the whole episode is a political circus, not a quest for justice.

Raut even tried to put the visit in perspective by referring to a recent student suicide at IIT, saying that the state’s conscience is already sensitive to such tragedies. “When a death looks suspicious, an inquiry is launched. That happened here too. No need for street‑level theatre,” he argued.

He went further, insinuating that “a few drunkards, a few chest‑thumpers, and a Nepali connection” were pulling the strings behind the scenes. The phrasing was colorful, to say the least, and hinted at alleged back‑room politics.

Satish Salian, for his part, said the visit was meant to showcase “the power of the common man”. He insisted that the defamation notice would be served regardless of whether the Thackerays accepted it on the spot or later in court.

Aaditya Thackeray, meanwhile, has consistently denied any personal connection with Disha Salian. In a post on X, he wrote that linking his name to the case is an “evidence‑free” attempt at character assassination, urging that the fresh CBI probe continue without political distractions.

The backdrop to all this is the ongoing CBI investigation into Disha Salian’s death. Salian, who managed actor Sushant Singh Rajput, fell from a building in June 2020. Initially recorded as an accidental death, the Bombay High Court later ordered a fresh probe, which is still underway.

So, while the legal wheels keep turning, the political drama seems to have found a new stage – a house in Bandra, a courtroom notice, and a lot of heated words on both sides.