Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government of attempting to defame him, asserting that he will respond to allegations in court. His remarks came after a petition seeking an FIR against him was filed in the Bombay High Court by Satish Salian, father of the late Disha Salian, who was Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager.
Addressing a press briefing, Thackeray said, “Attempts to tarnish my reputation have been ongoing for the past five years. If the matter is in court, I will respond in court. My fight will continue for the betterment of this country.”
The petition, filed five years after Disha Salian’s death, alleges that she was “gang-raped, forcibly restrained, and subjected to brutal sexual assault” at a house party where Aaditya Thackeray and Bollywood actor Dino Morea were invited. Salian’s father has demanded the “custodial interrogation” of Aaditya Thackeray.
Dismissing the allegations as a political ploy, Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP government in Maharashtra of diverting attention from key issues. “They keep bringing up irrelevant topics—sometimes Aurangzeb, sometimes something else—just to distract people,” he said.
Backing Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called the petition an “attempt to malign a youth leader.” He added, “The police investigation ruled it as an accident, not a murder. The petition was filed five years after the incident, and everyone knows the politics behind it.”