Mumbai, March 21: Almost five years after Disha Salian's death, her father, Satish Salian, has moved the High Court seeking a fresh investigation into the case, the registration of an FIR against Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) leader Aditya Thackeray, and the transfer of the investigation to the CBI.
Advocate Nilesh C. Oza, who represented Satish Salian in court, alleged that the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had tried to shield Aditya Thackeray and cover up the case.
"The Uddhav Thackeray government was in power at the time of Disha Salian's death. Since his son was allegedly involved in the case, the police had covered it up. We filed a public interest petition in September 2023 requesting that an FIR be registered and that action be taken. In December 2023, the Shinde-led government formed a special investigation team to probe the matter. In this regard, on January 12, 2024, a written complaint was filed, accusing Aditya Thackeray, Suraj Pancholi, and others of gang rape," Oza stated.
The petition claims that Aditya Thackeray submitted a false affidavit, stating that no FIR had been registered for over a year, and that the CBI had acquitted him in the case.
"There is evidence that Anil Deshmukh obstructed action against Aditya Thackeray," Oza further argued.
This development has ignited a political storm, with accusations of a cover-up and conspiracy, while calls for justice continue to grow within Maharashtra's political circles. However, Aditya Thackeray, who has denied any involvement in Disha Salian's death, has vowed to fight the allegations in court.
Aditya Thackeray commented on the matter, saying, "For the last five years, there have been repeated attempts to tarnish my image. We will present our case before the court and address the allegations against us."