Sanjay Raut raises questions on timing of petition in Disha Salian case

Mumbai: Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut has raised questions about the timing of the petition filed by Disha Salian's father, seeking a CBI probe into her death. Disha, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, passed away in June 2020.

The petitioner has appealed to the court to register an FIR against Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray.

Disha Salian's father, Satish, has alleged that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered.

"I don't know what is in the petition. But the time chosen for the petition is when the atmosphere in Maharashtra is heated over Aurangzeb. Some power is working behind the petitioner. All powers are behind them. Discussion is being created around that petition, leaving aside the Aurangzeb issue. There is no need to name the people who are behind this," said Raut.

"The continuous efforts to defame the Thackeray family are visible through this when the Aurangzeb case has turned against the government. There was an attempt to take Aurangzeb out of the grave and release him on us. Therefore, this case has been brewing for the last four days to get rid of Aurangzeb," alleged Sanjay Raut.

Maharashtra's culture doesn't tolerate sabotaging a young leader's future, Sanjay Raut said, adding that similar tactics have been tried on him and others, to no avail.

"Who is behind this? Who has the power? We have all the information about who was moving behind this. If you are going to do politics in this way, then that politics will be a disaster for you," he warned.

Sanjay Raut questioned the credibility of claims that Disha Salian's family was pressured into silence, saying it's unusual for families to wait five years to speak out. Typically, families cooperate with police investigations and seek justice immediately, he said.

Sanjay Raut stated that the party has endured numerous attacks and is now advancing aggressively, having emerged anew under Uddhav Thackeray's leadership. He emphasised that if past cases are to be reopened, then the ones involving Justice Lohia and Sohrabuddin should also be reinvestigated. Raut pointed out that Maharashtra has many similar cases, citing examples such as Ramesh Govekar, Ankush Rane, and Satyavijay Bhisen, implying that hundreds of these cases require renewed investigation.

Former Mayor Kishori Pednekar also suspected a conspiracy behind the filing of the petition. She also questioned why the petition was filed almost five years after the CID had investigated it and the SIT probe was underway.

In response to the allegations, Thackeray said, "There has been an attempt to defame me for the past 5 years. The matter is in court, we will talk in court. Whatever happens, will happen."

(with inputs from IANS)