Palash Muchhal faces legal trouble over fraud and caste-based abuse allegations

Filmmaker and music composer Palash Muchhal has been booked by the Sangli Police in Maharashtra following serious allegations of financial deception and caste-based abuse. The case was brought forward by Vigyan Prakash Mane, a 34-year-old social worker and childhood friend of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana.

FIR registered against Palash Muchhal

The dispute centres on a film project titled Nazariya. Mane alleges that Palash convinced him to invest approximately Rs 25 lakh into the production with the promise of both a role in the film and a return on his investment. According to the complaint, although the film reportedly completed shooting in 2024, the funds were never repaid and the promised profits failed to materialise.

The situation escalated in November 2025 during a meeting at a farmhouse in Sangli. Mane claims that when he requested his money back, Palash subjected him to derogatory caste-based slurs and intimidation. Consequently, the FIR includes charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act alongside provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to abuse and threats.

The current case comes after a period of upheaval in Palash’s life, in which he had initially been set to marry Mandhana in Sangli towards the end of 2025. However, the wedding was unexpectedly called off in December. Moreover, in an earlier case, Palash had sued Mane for Rs 10 crore due to his defamation allegations that Palash was unfaithful and had misused money. The Bombay High Court had prohibited Mane from speaking negatively about the composer in February.

While police in the region launch efforts to track down and apprehend Palash, the investigation is still in progress. The film under discussion is starred by Bhavya Shah and Apoorva Arora.

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