MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday asserted that he had never met or known celebrity manager Disha Salian, whose death in 2020 is now being probed by CBI on Bombay HC’s directive. He said linking him to the case was a deliberate attempt at character assassination by those with political and personal motives.“Let’s cut through the noise and talk about facts, once again: I have never met or known Disha Salian. Linking my name to this tragic case constantly is a deliberate, evidence-free attempt at character assassination by a few individuals with clear political and personal motives, for almost 6 years. The relentless smear campaign run by vested interests without a single shred of evidence and truth is highly unfortunate. Loud TV debates and media trials do not change the facts. Let the official re-investigation proceed without malicious distractions and character assassination for political motives,” he said in a post on X.“Once again, for those few, thinking that such malicious attempts being used politically, will hold us back from fighting for the truth, and for fellow citizens, is a failed strategy. We always will stand by the truth and fight for it,” Thackeray said. “This constant false campaign, devoid of any facts or truth, is unfortunate. The false discussions on TV channels and media trials carried out through empty bluster cannot alter the truth.”He said the official machinery should be allowed to conduct its inquiry impartially, without any interference, political intervention or character assassination. “I say it once again: if you think that through such character assassination and false propaganda, you can make us sit quietly, that is your delusion.”CBI filed its FIR on Monday. The FIR, lodged on the basis of a complaint by Disha’s father, didn’t name any suspect but it said the roles of many persons, including Thackeray and actors Dino Morea and Rhea Chakraborty, need to be probed.
