Aaditya Thackeray Moves Bombay HC To Intervene In PIL Seeking CBI Probe Into His Alleged Connection With Disha Salian, Sushant Singh Rajput Deaths

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has filed an intervention application before the Bombay High Court in a PIL seeking CBI probe into his alleged connection with the deaths of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and celebrity manager Disha Salian.

According to the application, the PIL lacks any element of public interest, and has been filed as a tool to settle personal grudges, propagate false propaganda, and gain political mileage, particularly in light of the impending Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.

“the Petitioner has filed the present Petition just before the ensuing Loksabha and Vidhansabha Elections, probably with a view to once again give rise to media trials carried out by some news Anchors having personal vendetta against the Intervener and his family members as well as to enable the aforesaid Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party to once again resort to make false, frivolous and baseless allegations against the Petitioner and his family members with mala fide intention to cause prejudice in the minds of the general public and score political mileage against political rival”, Thackeray’s application claims.

The intervention application has been filed in response to allegations made against Thackeray in the PIL by the Supreme Court and High Court Litigants Association, represented by its President Rashid Khan Pathan. The PIL seeks a CBI probe into Thackeray’s alleged connection with the deaths of Salian and Rajput.

The application, filed through Advocate Rahul Arote, states that the allegations have an adverse impact on Thackeray’s reputation as he is a former Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra, and he is seeking to intervene to counter the allegations against him and his family members.

The contentions in the PIL are based on false and malicious allegations made against him and his family members by BJP leader and Cabinet Minister Narayan Rane and Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic Media Network, the application states. The application claims that Rane and Goswami are targeting him as they were arrested for illegal activities when his father, former CM Uddhav Thackeray was in power.

Thackeray's application states that the investigations into the deaths of Rajput and Salian have already been thoroughly conducted by CBI, Maharashtra Police, and Bihar Police, rendering the PIL redundant and unnecessary.

The plea stresses that the petitioner has no standing to file the PIL and argues that the Supreme Court's involvement in the case renders the High Court's jurisdiction inappropriate for the matter.

Though Pathan has filed the PIL in his capacity of President of the Supreme Court and High Court Litigants Association, the prayers in the PIL have nothing to do with the rights or interests of Supreme Court and High Court Litigants, the application states.

“This fact clearly shows that the Petitioner has misused his position in the so-called Association to file the present Petition with mala fide intention to defame the Intervener by making various false and defamatory imputations and probably to extort money from the Intervener and his family members under threats of defamation”, the application alleges.

Further, the application states that the petitioner has a history of frivolous and baseless litigations against government officials, police officers, and social workers etc for personal gains. It highlights the petitioner's previous conviction for contempt by the Apex Court.

The application submits that the petitioner has allegedly made scandalous accusations against sitting judges of both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. This conduct has prompted the Bombay Bar Association to pass resolutions condemning such actions as an attack on the integrity of the judiciary, the application submits.

Thackeray's application prays for the opportunity to intervene and seeks direction to the PIL petitioner to implead him as a Respondent.

Case Title – Aditya Uddhav Thackeray (Intervener) In the matter of: Supreme Court and High Court Litigants Association v. Central Bureau of Investigation and Ors.