Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray Wednesday rejected the Rs 500-crore defamation notice served by Satish Salian, father of the late Disha Salian, calling it “frivolous” and denying he ever knew her.
Replying through his Supreme Court advocate Anshuman Sinha, Thackeray categorically denied all allegations of defamation, refused to issue an apology or withdraw his social media posts, and reaffirmed his stand that he has “never met or known Disha Salian”.
The confrontation stems from a notice issued September 17, 2026, by Satish Salian’s counsel, Adv. Anushka Sonawane. Salian alleged that Thackeray’s English and Marathi posts on X, published September 16, 2026, contained defamatory narratives and sought Rs 500 crore in damages alongside public apologies.
Thackeray’s reply emphasised that his posts never named or identified Satish Salian. His legal team argued that a cause of action cannot be manufactured by inserting a party’s name into general comments about a prolonged political and media campaign. The demand for Rs 500 crore was described as “false, legally misconceived and arbitrary, devoid of any computational basis or identified financial loss.”
The reply pointed out that Salian’s current claims contrasted with earlier public statements and legal filings made immediately after his daughter’s death. It cited FIR C.R. No. 118 of 2022 registered at Malvani Police Station and a March 16, 2022 order by the Dindoshi Sessions Court, where the family attributed her suicide to financial depression under the influence of alcohol, while accusing political actors of defaming the family by circulating rumours.
Thackeray said that while the Bombay High Court directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, it recorded no adverse findings against him or any individual, and mandated that no person be treated as an accused unless sufficient grounds emerged from evidence.
Defending his right to use social media to counter accusations, Thackeray refused demands to delete posts, apologise, retract or pay compensation. He reiterated his call for an independent and fair CBI investigation without media trials or political distractions.
Advising Satish Salian to withdraw the “misconceived” notice within seven days, Thackeray’s counsel warned that any further civil or criminal proceedings based on fabricated interpretations would be contested firmly in court at Salian’s risk regarding costs and consequences.
