Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 24 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday issued a formal legal response rejecting the Rs 500-crore defamation notice sent by Satish Salian, father of the late celebrity manager Disha Salian.
In the detailed response letter issued on Wednesday, Thackeray denied all allegations of defamation, categorically refusing to issue an apology, withdraw his posts, or pay any compensation.
"The characterisation of the posts as false, malicious or defamatory of Shri Satish Salian is rejected in full. The demand for Rs 500 crore as "compensation and damages" is arbitrary and unsupported by any pleaded basis, computation or identified loss. No apology, withdrawal, payment or other compliance is called for," the letter stated.
Thackeray's legal counsel highlighted that the social media posts dated September 16, on X does not mention or name Satish Salian. 
"The notice does not identify any particular sentence, expression or imputation in either publication which expressly refers to Satish Salian. Nor does it demonstrate, from the publication itself, that the words complained of refer to him," it said. 
The reply argued that general comments addressing a prolonged political and media campaign cannot be rewritten or converted into actionable defamation by inserting an individual's name.
"The attempt is instead to construct the alleged imputation by combining the impugned posts with the complaint, the writ proceedings, media reports and surrounding political events. Such collateral material cannot be used to rewrite the publication or manufacture an actionable imputation which is absent from its text. Such an exercise cannot substitute for the actual words published," it added.
The response stated that Thackeray has denied every allegation and claim in the legal notice, labelling them as false, misconceived, and legally unsustainable.
Earlier, on September 19, Advocate Nilesh Ojha, representing Satish Salian, said that a legal notice demanding an apology and Rs 500 crore compensation was sent to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.
Speaking to ANI, Ojha said, "One of our junior lawyers is serving a notice right now. The notice demands an apology and a Demand Draft (DD) for Rs 500 crore in compensation. Everyone is equal under the Constitution. Regarding the threat he issued, saying he wouldn't let us practice law, we came here to show them: 'Look, we are coming right to your doorstep to serve this notice.' Bring as many goons as you want; do whatever you please."
Salian was found dead on June 8, 2020, in Mumbai. Her death had initially been recorded as an Accidental Death Report (ADR). She died days before actor Sushant Singh Rajput, whose death also triggered a high-profile investigation and public controversy.