Palash Muchhal has reportedly gotten into a casteist tussle after a complaint was filed by a close friend of cricketer Smriti Mandhana, claiming that he uttered casteist remarks in a heated altercation at Sangli. The case has attracted a lot of attention considering that it came just after Muchhal made headlines over cancellation of his wedding plans with Mandhana.
Police officials have recorded a case under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as well as Sections 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Vigyan Prakash Mane, a Sangli resident and a childhood friend of Smriti Mandhana, lodged the complaint.
The alleged incident took place on November 22 at a toll plaza on the Sangli–Ashta road. Mane has asserted that in one of the financial disputes that they were involved in, Palash Muchhal had made caste-based derogatory comments against him. Police have verified that investigation is in progress.
As per the complaint, the dispute originated over a ₹25 lakh financial transaction. Mane claimed that he had given the amount to Muchhal to do a film production project, which was to be finished within six months. But on this occasion when the project was postponed, Mane went to him and demanded the money back. It is claimed that the confrontation was aggravated when the two confront each other in person resulting in the alleged remarks.
Mane has alleged Muchhal of not wanting to pay and acting in an aggressive manner towards him. The case has further brought into the limelight of the personal life of Muchhal which has already been in the limelight following the postponement of his wedding with Mandhana due to a family medical emergency and subsequent hospitalisation concerns.