In a shocking development, the aged parents of former Bollywood-linked entrepreneur Disha Salian, have knocked the doors of Rashtrapati Bhavan complaining how Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane and his MLA son Nitesh Rane are "liars" and virtually driving them to suicide.
In a stinging 5-pager, Satish Salian and his wife Vasanti Salian have targeted the Rane father-son duo and some private television channels for running a 'false narrative' on television and social media on their deceased daughter Disha -- who had fallen from a building or committed suicide on June 8, 2020.
Drawing parallels with the Nirbhaya rape-cum-murder case of Delhi a decade ago, the Salians pointed out that till now, that victim's identity has not been revealed, but here "Rane is blatantly taking my daughter's name" repeatedly and saying that she was raped.
Asking "whether the law of the land is not applicable to the Union Minister", the Salians said even after registering a (police) against them, the "liars" Rane duo have not stopped maligning the family's name.
When contacted, the Salian couple said that it has been two days since they wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, but there has been no response so far.
"We have also made the same appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Bharatiya Janata Party Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, to stop a few politicians from maligning our daughter's name," Salian told IANS.
They pointed out how whenever the Union Minister took their daughter's name, it became national news and wondered how should the police deal with the case against "rich and powerful politicians like Rane", and what could the common citizens do to stop these people.
Urging for sensitising the judiciary on such issues instead of taking side of powerful politicians who are accused in such cases, they referred to the Sessions Court Judge's observation in the Ranes' bail order that the "investigation machinery is not expected to act as a tool in the hands of the government" but how it is acting in an unprecedented manner in dealing with the alleged crime.
They recalled how after four hours of questioning by the investigators, Rane came out and claimed that he called up the Union Home Minister after which he was allowed to step out from the Malwani Police Station.
"If this is true, then on whom can we trust to get justice... when our dignity is assaulted by such unscrupulous elements...," the Salians said.
On top of that, after securing anticipatory bail, Nitesh Rane termed it as a 'historic' win' and promised to get justice for Disha Salian.
"Who are they to get justice for our daughter? Such statements and allegations are making us disgusted and frustrated," said the Salians, reiterating that "the Mumbai Police found no foul play with respect to (Disha), her fiance and friends" that fateful night.
Challenging the Ranes' claims that they had no faith in (Mumbai) Police and they would submit the proof to the CBI, the Salians said after listening carefully to the court proceedings, they are convinced the Rane father-son are "liars".
"They have no proof whatsoever... The facts are in our personal knowledge... and we are well aware that both of them cannot give any proof since they are liars... They are giving false excuses of giving the proof to the CBI and not the police," they said sharply.
The Salian couple urged the President and others to direct the concerned authorities to take appropriate steps so that justice is done, as the Ranes have dragged them into their political rivalry with Chief Minister Thackeray and his son, state Minister Aditya Thackeray, "to settle their personal scores".
"Otherwise, we will be left with no other alternative but to end our lives," the Salians warned in conclusion.
(Article by Quaid Najmi. The writer can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)