Father Slaps ₹1 Lakh Crore Defamation Notice on Times of India and Mumbai Tak- India Today
Notice issued by Advocates Anushka Sonwane, Tanveer Nizam & IshwarLal Agarwal
Mumbai: In a massive legal escalation, Shri Satish Salian—father of the late Ms. Disha Salian—along with co-petitioners Shri Rashid Khan Pathan and Shri Mursalin Sheikh, has issued three strongly-worded legal notices to leading national media houses for publishing false, defamatory, and misleading news reports concerning the ongoing proceedings before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in relation to the brutal gangrape and murder of Ms. Disha Salian.
The notices accuse the media outlets of deliberately distorting judicial facts, suppressing critical court records, and misrepresenting sub judice matters in a manner that protects politically influential accused individuals while maligning the petitioners.
The notices—issued through legal counsels Adv. Anushka Sonwane, Adv. Tanveer Nizam, and Adv. Ishwarlal Agarwal—target The Times of India, India Today – Mumbai Tak, for “deliberate distortion of facts, media trial in favour of the accused, suppression of judicial records, and emotional cruelty to the victim’s family.”
What Triggered This?
● On 3rd July 2025, Times of India and other outlets ran misleading headlines like “No foul play… Relief for Aaditya Thackeray,” suggesting that the Bombay High Court had cleared the accused of suspicion.
● In reality, the Court has not given any such relief, and proceedings are still underway in Criminal Writ Petition No. 1612 of 2025, filed by the bereaved father.
● Not only that, the Court had earlier directed that the State’s reply must come from the Chief Secretary, but instead, a junior police inspector filed an unauthorized affidavit—which was strongly objected to in open court.
● Intervention Applications exposing false affidavits and demanding prosecution of accused Aaditya Thackeray are pending before the Bench.
Who Has Received Notices?
First Notice – The Times of India Group:
- Mr. Darick B. D’Sza – Editor-in-Chief
- Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
- Ms. Rosy Sequeira – Senior Correspondent
- The Economic Times
Second Notice – India Today / Mumbai Tak Group:
- Ms. Anuja Dhakras, Ms. Madhavi Desai, Mr. Abhijeet Karande
- Mumbai Tak, India Today
- Mrs. Kalli Puri – Vice Chairperson & Group Editorial Director
- Living Media India Ltd. – Parent company
Key Demands in the Legal Notice:
Within 48 hours, the following must be done:
- Publish a full, unqualified retraction on all platforms.
- Issue a written, unconditional public apology to the victims and their family.
- Remove all defamatory content from websites, videos, and social media.
- Publish accurate reporting of the 3rd July 2025 High Court proceedings.
- Pay ₹1,00,000 Crores in damages for reputational, emotional, and legal injury.
Failure to comply will result in:
- Civil and criminal defamation suits,
- Criminal prosecution under IPC and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,
- Contempt of Court petitions,
- Formal complaints to the Press Council of India, Editors Guild, and NBDSA.
Advocate Ishwarlal Agarwal Speaks:
“This is not just a case of bad journalism—it’s a direct assault on justice. When powerful media platforms manipulate facts to shield influential accused persons, the only remedy left is the law.”
Advocate Tanveer Nizam and Anushka Sonwane Adds:
“Targeting a grieving father and portraying him as politically motivated is not only defamatory—it’s an act of emotional cruelty. Truth has been crushed, and we are here to revive it through justice.”
This case now represents more than just a personal tragedy—it is a symbol of a citizen’s fight against media subversion and institutional silence. When media houses become defense lawyers for the accused, it is not journalism—it is democracy under threat.
