Social worker Vignyan Mane has filed a case against music composer and filmmaker Palash Muchhal in Sangli, Maharashtra, over charges of cheating and under the Atrocities Act.
Vignyan Mane, who is also a childhood friend of Palash Muchhal’s ex-fiance Smriti Mandhana, has filed a complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on which the case has been registered.
Vignyan Mane, also an actor and producer from Sangli, has alleged that Palash Muchhal lured him into investing lakhs of money in his film Nazariya, but failed to return the money. Based on this complaint, a case of cheating as well as under the SC/ST Atrocities Act has been registered at the Sangli City Police Station.
Speaking to the reporters, Vignyan Mane claimed Palash Muchhal borrowed Rs 25 lakh from him.
“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.
“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,” the complainant said.
According to Vignyan Mane, Palash Muchhal promised to return the money but 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,” he added.
Police 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 using caste-based abusive/derogatory remarks.
Further investigation in the matter is currently underway.
Police teams from Sangli City Police Station have been dispatched to arrest the accused.
Palash Muchhal completed the shooting of Nazariya back in 2024. It stars Bhavya Shah, Apoorva Arora and Dhiraj Sanap.
Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana were set to be married on November 23, 2025, in Sangli. Smriti Mandhana’s father, Shrinivas Mandhana was admitted to the hospital due to a health issue. A few hours later, reports surfaced that Palash Muchhal had also been rushed to the hospital for viral symptoms and acidity-related complications.
On December 7, Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana announced that their wedding had been called off.
(With Inputs From Sharad Satpute)
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