Palash Muchhal faces FIR over caste abuse allegations by Smriti Mandhana's friend

Vigyan Mane has filed an Atrocities Act case against singer-composer Palash Muchhal over an alleged unpaid of Rs 25 lakh film investment and caste-based abuse. The case comes months after Palash's cancelled wedding with cricketer Smriti Mandhana.

In Short

• Mandhana's friend has accused Muchhal of humiliating him
• Mane said he invested Rs 25 lakh in the proposed film by Muchhal
• He alleged the film was never made despite promises of returns

Vigyan Mane, who is reportedly a childhood friend of Indian cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, has filed a case under the Atrocities Act against singer-composer Palash Muchhal. In his complaint, Mane has alleged that Muchhal took money from him, abused him using casteist slurs and subjected him to humiliating behaviour.

The complaint was filed months after Mandhana and Muchhal called off their wedding in December 2025. Police have registered a case against Muchhal on the basis of the complaint, and an investigation is under way.

India Today has learnt that Mane, a 34-year-old resident of Sangli who is active in social and political circles, has claimed that Muchhal took Rs 25 lakh from him as an investment for a film titled Nazariya. According to the complaint, Muchhal had also offered Mane a role in the film, and it was agreed that the invested amount, along with profits, would be returned after the film's release. However, Mane has alleged that the film was never made.

In the complaint, Mane said he repeatedly asked for his money back, but Muchhal kept delaying repayment for days and months. He alleged that Muchhal later refused outright and said he owed nothing. After several attempts to recover the money, Mane approached the Sangli police and filed a complaint.

Mane has further alleged that when he met Muchhal in person to demand money, the singer abused him using casteist slurs and behaved in a derogatory manner, insulting his caste identity. According to the complaint, the incident took place on November 22, 2025, at a farmhouse in Sangli. Police said the case was registered on the complaint of Vigyan Prakash Mane, 34, a resident of Sangli, against Palash Rajkumar Muchhal, 30, a resident of Lokhandwala, Andheri, Mumbai, over allegations of caste-based abuse and the use of obscene language.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandeep Bhagwat confirmed that the complaint has been officially registered and that further investigation is under way. The case centres on Mane's allegations of an unpaid Rs 25 lakh investment linked to Nazariya, along with claims of caste-based abuse during a meeting in Sangli.

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