NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar on Tuesday claimed that the sudden increase in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) activity in the Disha Salian death case was politically motivated, suggesting it could be linked to the upcoming elections.
Speaking to reporters, Pawar also defended Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray in connection with the CBI investigation, expressing confidence that Thackeray would be cleared, as he was in the earlier probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
“During the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s case earlier, Aaditya Thackeray’s name was mentioned, but he was later cleared. We believe he will be cleared in this case as well. The 2029 elections, which were supposed to take place, may actually happen earlier. Whenever the CBI becomes active, politics gets involved, and because of this, the 2029 elections could be a reason for this,” he said.
The CBI on Monday registered an FIR in connection with Disha Salian’s death after the Bombay High Court directed the agency to conduct a thorough investigation. Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, days before Rajput was found dead at his residence in Bandra, Mumbai.
Salian’s death had previously been recorded as an Accidental Death Report (ADR). The latest development followed the Bombay High Court’s direction to the CBI to register an FIR and investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
Pawar also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented across all 21 NDA-governed states before 2029. He accused the ruling coalition of using politically and ideologically charged issues to divert public attention from pressing governance concerns in Maharashtra.
He urged the Centre to instead focus on women’s safety and the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state.
“If you want to discuss issues, then come to Maharashtra and talk about women’s safety. The law-and-order situation here has deteriorated significantly. If you go to Pune, several other gangs are emerging. This issue needs serious discussion. But politically, we feel that the government’s leaders are trying to divert people’s attention by raising issues like the UCC,” Pawar said.
The UCC Bill has already been introduced and passed in three states, Uttarakhand in February 2024, Gujarat in March 2026 and Assam in May 2026.
(With inputs from PTI)
