Smriti Mandhana`s Friend Files Cheating Case Against Ex-Fiance Palash Muchhal
Updated on: 06 May, 2026 01:44 PM IST |Shweta Shah
Smriti Mandhana-Palash Muchhal controversy
Exes Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana are back making headlines, and this time, for yet another shocking reason. The cricketer`s friend and social worker, Vignyan Mane, has filed a cheating and caste abuse case against the filmmaker.
The case has been filed in Sangli, Maharashtra, over charges of cheating under the Atrocities Act.
Mane, who is also a childhood friend of Palash Muchhal`s ex-fiancée, Smriti Mandhana, has filed a complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, on the basis of which the case has been registered.
Vignyan Mane, who also happens to be an actor and a producer, claims that Muchhal lured him into investing lakhs of rupees in his project, Nazariya, but failed to return the same. Based on this, a case of cheating has also been filed under the SC/ST Atrocities Act at the Sangli Police Station.
Also Read: Palash Muchhal Cheating Controversy: What We Know About the 40 Lakh Complaint?
Speaking to the reporters, the plaintiff alleged that the filmmaker borrowed 25 lakhs from him.
He said, "I am a law-abiding citizen who firmly believes in the Constitution of India and the rule of law. In 2024, Palash Muchhal took Rs 25 lakh from me under the pretext of investing in a film project, assuring me of good returns. However, after the film was completed, despite repeated follow-ups, he continued to delay repayment."
Mane further added, "On November 22, 2025, when he was in Sangli, I, along with my friends, met him in person. During this meeting, we realised that we had been deceived. At the same time, he made deeply offensive and casteist remarks about a particular community, which I have detailed in my FIR, as they are not appropriate to repeat publicly."
According to Vignyan Mane, Palash Muchhal assured him to return 25 lakhs, but he failed to do so.
"Instead, he allegedly threatened me with physical harm through contacts in Mumbai, causing me significant mental harassment. I have reported all these incidents to the police... The casteist remarks deeply affected me, and with the support of my friends, I decided to take legal action," Mandhana`s friend shared.
Police officers from Sangli say the case has been registered under Section 3(1)(R)(S) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 2012, and under Sections 351, 302, and 352 of the BNS for allegedly making caste-based abusive and derogatory remarks.
A police team from Sangli has been dispatched to arrest the accused. Stay tuned to this space for more updates on the Palash Muchhal controversy.
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